In Roza's mind:shadow kiss
by Author-Forever-598
Summary: The gang is called together to read the vampire academy series. i have skipped past the first two books cauz many people have already done it. Check my story out!
1. Chapter 1

Today was the day. The reading day, when we have to read the books given to us. I got the notice today morning. No one knew who leaves it but it is always there once a month. "Guardian Belikov and Guardian Hathaway please report to the guardian main hall. Guardian Castile has been searching for you" boomed the speaker. "Hathaway, you are wanted" shouted Emil. "Yes Emil. I can hear quite nicely, thank you" I snapped back. I was in a bad mood. I didn't want to go. Dimitri got up from his chair in the far end of the room, put down his book and came to me. "Calm down, Roza" he said. I calmed down slightly at the feeling of his hand around my waist. "Come on, let's go" he said. We walked to the main hall where Eddie was waiting for us. "It's the mystery person again" he said. Last Christmas we were all called to a room and a set of books were given to us. Notice would come when we had to read. We had finished two books. And now were one the third. And the worst part was it was in my point of view. Things had gone terribly bad when we went through the lust charm part and the kissing part. My dad had threatened to kill Dimitri. We had to literally pull him off Dimitri. We had to read them one by one once in the month. Dimitri nodded and started dragging me to one of the meeting rooms in a corner. Lissa, Christian, Adrian, Abe, Dimitri's sister Viktoria, Mia and my mom were there. I gave Liss a hug and sat down. Dimitri sat down next to me. "So who is reading" I asked. "Me" said Adrian.

"okay, let's get this over with , guys" I said. Adrian started reading the lines written in the back of rthe book.

"**What if following her heart means losing her best friend-forever?" **

"Whoa, way to go for a cheerful beginning." Christian muttered.

"**Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian."  
**"And yet, here she is, sticking like glue to one" said Mia. I poked her playfully.

"**Her best friend Lissa must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to the gorgeous Dimitri Belikov-"**

"Gorgeous? Him? I mean I accept he is cute but nope. I don't see a bit of gorgeousness anywhere on him" said Viktoria. Dimitri started ticking her. "Stop. Stop." She begged "fine. You are gorgeous. Now can you please stop?' she asked.

"**-some rules are meant to be broken. Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal dead are on the prowl-"**

"They still are" interrupted my mom seriously. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Can you guys please let me finish a para" groaned Adrian.

Abe motioned him to keep reading.

"**-and in a heart stopping battle, Rose will have to choose between life, me and the two people that matter most."**

"Life, _YOU _and the two people who matter most?" asked Abe.

"Fine. Fine. I was just improvising. Its '**life, love and the two people who matter most' **ok? "

We all glared at him. "Geez" he grumbled "you people are no fun"

"Continue" I said my patience beginning to wear out.

"**But will her choice mean that only one survives?" ** Adrian placed a hand over his heart for dramatic effect and opened the book. "Who's reading next?" I asked. "Christian" replied Lissa.

"**Chapter 1…" **he began.


	2. Chapter 2

"**CHAPTER 1" **Christian read.

"**His fingertips slid along my back, hardly applying any pressure, yet sending shock waves down my skin" **

"oh..man." grumbled Christian. "do I really have to read this?"

"yes" replied the others and Everyone burst out laughing. Everyone except Dimitri. He was looking at me with a confused look in his face. I **tried** raising one eyebrow at him... and failed. That made him smile.

" **Slowly, slowly, his hands moved across my skin, down to the sides of my stomach to finally rest at the side of my hips."**

"Do you know how wrong it sounds when you read it, Christian?" laughed Adrian.

"Shut up, you pervert" said Eddie and Christian at the same time. They grinned at each other and hi-fied. Viktoria rolled her eyes.

"**Just below my ear, I felt his lips press against my neck, followed by another kiss just below it, then another, then another…"**

It hit everyone at the same time. "Wait a minute. Who are you talking about? I mean you said you and Dimitri had sex only later after you saw ghosts and all..." trailed off Viktoria.

"Or did you have a sex dream about him" said Abe grumpily.

"It isn't Dimitri" I said. Everyone looked at me as if I had gone mad. Again I felt Dimitri's eyes on me. I turned to him. His face was a mixture of pain and love. "Do you mean you lost your virginity to someone else?" asked Mia.

"Of course not. Listen to me for second, guys. The book will explain about it. I am sure." I said.

Christian who had been watching me quietly all the time started reading.

"**His lips moves from my neck toward my cheek and then finally found my mouth. We kissed wrapping ourselves together. My blood burned within me and I felt more alive in that moment than I ever had. "**

"Little dhampir, did you have a dream about me?" asked Adrian.

"No, Adrian. I did not. Even Russian vodka will not make me have a dream like this with you" I said. I expected Dimitri to chuckle but kept on starring at the book thoughtfully. I tried taking his hand but he cringed back towards Eddie who was sitting next to him. I dropped my hand pain threatening to kill me. "Dimitri…." I said "the book will explain" I said. It had to. Or I will be in deep trouble.

Christian stared reading again.

"**I loved him, loved Christian so much that-".** He never had a chance to finish. Dimitri was on him swearing in Russian. He started strangling Christian. "You cheated me with Rose?" asked Lissa to him angrily. Christian couldn't reply. He was still getting beaten up and no one was helping him. Eddie and Mia were looking at him disgustedly and my mom and Abe glared at him looking as if they could use him as a punching bag. I tried pulling Dimitri off Christian but no use. I begged him to stop. Dimitri finally let go. Dimitri glared at me. "Rose, what is all this?'' he said. "let me read this, please" I begged.

They all finally sat down. Lissa got up from near me and sat in between Eddie and mia glaring at Christian and Dimitri got up from next to me and sat next to my dad. Even Abe and Adrian were glaring at me. I whimpered and took the book in my shaking hands.

"**Christian?**

**Oh no.**

**Some coherent part of me immediately realized what was going on **


	3. Chapter 3

**Some coherent part of me immediately realized what was happening- and boy, was it pissed off. The rest of me was still living in the encounter, experiencing it as though I was the one being touched and kissed. That part of me couldn't break away. I'd merged too much with Lissa, and for all intents and purposes, this was happening to me.**

I looked up after reading the paragraph. The room was in complete silence except small noises from Christian who was still rubbing his wounds. Then Lissa flung herself on Christian knocking him down. Christian rolled on top of her and they kissed. Then something amazing happened. As Lissa kissed Christian, his wounds faded away. Mia and Viktoria gasped.

"What? Have you never seen people kissing" asked Christian helping Lissa get up. Lissa said "oh my god, Christian your wounds. They have vanished. I didn't use magic and Adrian couldn't have because he is sitting there. SO how?" talking mostly to herself. I said "Liss, it must be because you are full of magic and when you touched him the magic must have surged into him". She looked at me apologizing "Rose, I am….." I stopped her "its ok, Liss"

Dimitri who had been quiet for so long spoke up. "Roza, I am so sorry ". Getting up from his place, he swept me off my feet and kissed me bridal style. There were a lot of 'awww's in the room. Soon they turned into throat clearings. He finally put me down and we sat down me on his lap.

Christian said "now that, that's cleared up, can I continue?" he asked. Holding Lissa's hand he took the book in his oher hand started reading.

"_**No,**_** I told myself sternly, **_**it's not real- not for you. Get out of there. **_**But how could I listen to logic to logic when every nerve in my body was being set on fire.**

_**You aren't her. This isn't your head. Get out.**_

**His lips. There was nothing in the world right now except his lips.**

_**It's not him. Get out.**_

"Oh man, you mean me and Lissa had audience the whole time?" Christian said. I gagged. Lissa poked him.

"**the kisses were the same, exactly as I remembered with **_**him…"  
**_"With who?" Dimitri whispered.

"With you" I whispered back. He kissed me again. Viktoria shouted "go get a room, will you"

"_**No, it's not Dimitri. Get out!**_** Dimitri's name was like cold water hitting me on my face. I got out."**

Dimitri smiled, happy that he was able to bring me out of the situation.

**I sat upright in my bed, suddenly feeling smothered. I tried kicking off my covers but mostly ended up entangling my lgs even more. My heart beaat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality.**

"Someone's pissed off" said Adrian.

"Rose, are you okay?" asked Eddie. I took deep breaths. I suddenly felt mad. . I nodded and snuggled into Dimitri's chest.

**Times sure had changed. A long time ago, Lissa's nightmares used to wake me from sleep. Now her sex life did. To say the two were a little different would be an understatement. I'd actually gotten the hang of blocking out her romantic interludes-at least when I was awake.** **This time, Lissa and Christian had outsmarted me.**

"Outsmarted you?" asked Adrian with raised eyebrows. I shrugged and grabbed the book from Sparky's hands. I read the line again. "Sparky read the words in brackets please. Without them, it makes me look bad." He smirked

"OK fine. It's written **unintentionally **in brackets"

**In sleep, my defenses were down, allowing strong emotions to pass through the psychic link that connected me to my best friend. This wouldn't have been a problem if the two of them had been a problem if the two of them had been in bed like normal people- and being in bed I mean "asleep"himself**

"Rosie's pissed off!" Sang Christian."sparky's going to be pissed off when dimitri has finished pulling all his hair out" I sang back

Christian started reading again.

""**God" I muttered, siting up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My voice was muffles in a yawn. Couldn't Lissa and Christian have seriously kept their hands off each other till waking hours?"**

"No" said Christian smirking. A faint blush colored Lissa's cheeks and she hid her face in Christian's shoulder.

Abe motioned him to read again.

"**Worse, than being woken up, though, was the way I still felt. Sure, none of that making out had actually happened to me. It hadn't been my skin being touched or my lips being kissed. Yet my body seemed to feel the loss of it nonetheless. It had been a very long time since I'd been in that kind of situation. I ached and felt warm all over. Suddenly, desperately, I wanted someone to hold me. But definitely not Christian.**

"Oh, my, what an insult. Would the lovely Rosemarie hate to be acquainted to me?" asked Christian with an annoying look on his face. I slapped him. "yes" I said.

**The memory of those lips on mine flashed back through my mine, how they'd felt' and how my sleepy self had been so certain it was Dimitri kissing me.**

Dimitri groaned and said "This session is over" as he pulled my face towards his. Someone threw a pillow at us.

"I am going to continue reading. You guys can listen to me if you want" said Christian.

**I stood up on shaky legs, feeling restless and… well, sad.**

**Sad and empty. Needing to walk off my weird mood, I put on a robe and slippers and left my room for the bathroom down the hall. I splashed cool water on my face and stared in the mirror. The reflection looked back at me with tangled hair and bloodshot eyes. I looked sleep-deprived, but I didn't want to risk falling asleep yet. I needed something to wake me up and shake away what I'd seen.**

**I left the bathroom and turned towards the stairwell , my feet light on the steps as I went downstairs. The first floor of my dorm was sill and quiet. It was almost noon- the middle of the night for vampires as we followed the nocturnal schedule.**

"iam going to get some water" said Viktoria

"**lurking near the edge of a doorway, I scanned the lobby. It was empty, save for the yawning moroi man sitting at the front deskHe leafed halfheartedly through a magazine, held to consciousness only by the finest threads. He came to the magazine's end and yawned again. Turning in his revolving chair, he tossed the magazine on a table behind him and reached for what must have been something else to read**

**While his back was turned, I turned past him toward the set of double doors that opened outside.**

"oh..my, why is this book soooooooooooo descriptive?" asked Mia.

**Cold wind blasted me in the face, but it was exactly what I needed. Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails. The sun peeped at me from between lead-colored clouds, further reminding me that I should be in bed and asleep. Squinting at the light, I tugged my robe tighter and walked around the side of the building, toward a spot between it and the gym that wasn't quite so exposed to the elements. The slush on the sidewalk soaked into the cloth of my slippers, but I didn't care.**

"ROSE! "Chastised my mom. "YES MOM" I said. She grumbled but kept quiet.

**Yeah, it was a typically miserable winter day in Montana, but that was the point. The crisp air did a lot to wake me up and chase off the remnants of the virtual love scene. Plus, it kept me firmly in my own head. Focusing on the cold in my body was better than remembering what it had felt like to have Christian's hands on me.**

"Oh Rosemarie, your words are hurting me" said Christian sarcastically

**Standing there, staring off at a cluster of trees without really seeing them, I was surprised to feel a spark of anger at Lissa and Christian.**

Lissa looked at me surprised. I mouthed _Sorry_ to her.

She smiled and shook her head at me

**It must be nice, I thought bitterly, to do whatever the hell you wanted. Lissa had often commented that she wished she could feel my mind and experiences the way I could feel hers. The truth was, she had no idea how lucky she was. She had no idea what it was like to have someone else's thoughts intruding on yours, someone else's experiences muddling yours. She didn't know what it was like to live with someone else's perfect love life when your own was nonexistent. She didn't understand what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it made your chest ache—a love you could only feel and not express. Keeping love buried was a lot like keeping anger pent up, I'd learned. It just ate you up inside until you wanted to scream or kick something.**

Lissa said "you should have told me, Rose."

"I didn't want to make you worry, Liss"

**No, Lissa didn't understand any of that. She didn't have to. She could carry on with her own romantic affairs, with no regard for what she was doing to me. **

**I noticed then that I was breathing heavily again, this time with rage. The icky feeling I'd felt over Lissa and Christian's late-night hookup was gone. It had been replaced by anger and jealousy, feelings born of what I couldn't have and what came so easily to her. I tried my best to swallow those emotions back; I didn't want to feel that way toward my best friend**.

I didn't look at Lissa. If we had the bond, she would have kept apologizing. Now, that the bond was gone, I knew she wanted to talk to me.

**"Are you sleepwalking?" a voice asked behind me.**

"who was it?" asked Viktoria who had returned with cups of juice for everyone. I took one and leaned back against Dimitri.

"Dimitri" I said.

**I spun around, startled. Dimitri stood there watching me, looking both amused and curious. It would figure that while I was raging over the problems in my unfair love life, the source of those problems would be the one to find me. I hadn't heard him approach at all. So much for my ninja skills.**

"Gee, Rose. I didn't know you had ninja skills." said Viki. I threw a pillow at her.

**And honestly, would it have killed me to pick up a brush before I went outside? Hastily, I ran a hand through my long hair, knowing it was a little too late. It probably looked like an animal had died on top of my head.**

Lissa giggled. Adrian said "Little Dhampir, your hair will always look like Rapunzel's hair at me".

"Huh. I thought Rapunzel's hair was cut and she became blind in the end" said Christian.

Dimitri growled. Christian paled thinking how Dimitri had thrown him around when Dimitri thought I had cheated him with Christian. "oh my savior" I said. Dimitri just held me tighter inhaling the scent in my hair.

**"I was testing dorm security," I said. "It sucks." **

**A hint of a smile played over his lips. The cold was really starting to seep into me now, and I couldn't help but notice how warm his long leather coat looked. I wouldn't have minded wrapping up in it.**

"I wouldn't have minded wrapping you in it" Dimitri said. I grinned.

**As though reading my mind, he said, "You must be freezing. Do you want my coat?" **

**I shook my head, deciding not to mention that I couldn't feel my feet.**

"How did you know I was cold?" I asked.

"I can read you pretty well, Roza" he said.

"Guys, you both can have this conversation alone you know?" Christian said.

"And stop undressing each other with your eyes" added Mia. I glared at her.

Abe said "we will never finish this book if you both sit together. Dimitri come sit here" he said. Dimitri Got up but I pulled him backdown.

"You know, that wouldn't help you." I said slyly "we will just keep undressing each other from opposite sides."

Eddie groaned.

**I'm fine. What are you doing out here? Are you testing security too?"**

"Wow….how romantic. You going out in the middle of the night and him finding you" said Viki.i rolled my eyes again

**"I **_**am **_**security. This is my watch."**

"bam." said Christian.

"Caught" said Adrian.

**Shifts of school guardians always patrolled the grounds while everyone else slept. Strigoi, the undead vampires who stalked living Moroi vampires like Lissa, didn't come out in sunlight, but students breaking rules—say, like, sneaking out of their dorms—was a problem night and day.**

"How did you escape this one, Rose? Use your womanly charm on him?" said Eddie

**Well, good work," I said. "I'm glad I was able to help test your awesome skills. I should be going now."**

"And he just let you go like that?" asked my mom angrily.

**"Rose—" Dimitri's hand caught my arm, and despite all the wind and chill and slush, a flash of heat shot through me. He released me with a start, as though he too had been burned.**

"We don't want every detail of your romantic interludes, thank you" Adrian said.

"Ooh, someone's jealous" said Viki.

"Stop it, Viki" Dimitri said fondly.

"**What are you really doing out here?" **

**He was using the **_**stop fooling around **_**voice, so I gave him as truthful an answer as I could. "I had a bad dream. I wanted some air." **

**"And so you just rushed out. Breaking the rules didn't even cross your mind—and neither did putting on a coat." **

**"Yeah," I said. "That pretty much sums it up." **

**"Rose, Rose." This time it was his exasperated voice. "You never change. Always jumping in without thinking." **

**"That's not true," I protested. "I've changed a lot."**

"Yup. You have." Said Adrian.

"What with Cradle robber as your mentor you have become quite serious, you know" he said

"Cradle robber?" asked Dimitri raising one eyebrow.

"Yes Cradle robber. You are called a cradle robber because… because it suits you" he said

I rolled my eyes.

**The amusement on his face suddenly faded, his expression growing troubled. He studied me for several moments. Sometimes I felt as though those eyes could see right into my soul.**

"No they can't" he said

"Yes they can" I said

"It's my eyes. I try but I can't

"It's your eyes but I know you well"

"No, Roza, I can't see."

"Yes, you can"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"Yes"

"No"

"Oh shit"

He smiled amused. "Oh my god, did you guys just have a fight about this?" asked Mia.

"No, we didn't" I said. "It isn't a fight"

**"You're right. You have changed." **

**He didn't seem very happy about the admission. He was probably thinking about what had happened almost three weeks ago, when some friends and I had gotten ourselves captured by Strigoi. It was only through sheer luck that we'd managed to escape—and not all of us had gotten out. Mason, a good friend and a guy who'd been crazy about me, had been killed, and part of me would never forgive myself for it, even though I'd killed his murderers. **

I sighed. Eddie looked at me both were thinking of Mason.

**It had given me a darker outlook on life. Well, it had given **_**everyone **_**here at St. Vladimir's Academy a darker outlook, but me especially. Others had begun to notice the difference in me. I didn't like to see Dimitri concerned, though, so I played off his observation with a joke. **

**"Well, don't worry. My birthday's coming up. As soon as I'm eighteen, I'll be an adult, right? I'm sure I'll wake up that morning and be all mature and stuff." **

**As I'd hoped, his frown softened into a small smile. "Yes, I'm sure. What is it, about a month?" **

**"Thirty-one days," I announced primly. **

**"Not that you're counting." **

**I shrugged, and he laughed. **

**"I suppose you've made a birthday list too. Ten pages? Single-spaced? Ranked by order of priority?" The smile was still on his face. It was one of the relaxed, genuinely amused ones that were so rare to him. **

**"**ooh, Belikov made a joke" said Adrian.

**I started to make another joke, but the image of Lissa and Christian flared into my mind again. That sad and empty feeling in my stomach returned. Anything I might have wanted— new clothes, an iPod, whatever—suddenly seemed trivial. What did material things like that mean compared to the one thing I wanted most of all? God, I really had changed. **

"Way to kill a jovial time, Rose" said Eddie.

**"No," I said in a small voice. "No list." **

**He tilted his head to better look at me, making some of his shoulder-length hair blow into his face. His hair was brown, like mine, but not nearly as dark. Mine looked black at times. He brushed the unruly strands aside, only to have them immediately blow back into his face. "I can't believe you don't want anything. It's going to be a boring birthday." **

_**Freedom, **_**I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted. **

**"It doesn't matter," I said instead. **

**"What do you—" He stopped. He understood. He always did.**

"See if you can't see through me how can you understand" I said.

"GUYS. Don't murder us with your romantic fights." said Lissa.

"Liss, Sparky is rubbing off on you"

**It was part of why we connected like we did, in spite of the seven-year gap in our ages. We'd fallen for each other last fall when he'd been my combat instructor. As things heated up between us, we'd found we had more things to worry about than just age. We were both going to be protecting Lissa when she graduated, and we couldn't let our feelings for each other distract us when she was our priority. **

**Of course, that was easier said than done because I didn't think our feelings for each other were ever really going to go away. We'd both had moments of weakness, moments that led to stolen kisses or saying things we really shouldn't have.**

Christian and Adrian groaned in unison.

**After I'd escaped the Strigoi, Dimitri had told me he loved me and had pretty much admitted he could never be with anyone else because of that. Yet, it had also become clear that we still couldn't be together either, and we had both **

**slipped back into our old roles of keeping away from each other and pretending that our relationship was strictly professional. **

**In a not-so-obvious attempt to change the subject, he said, "You can deny it all you want, but I know you're freezing. Let's go inside. I'll take you in through the back." **

**I couldn't help feeling a little surprised. Dimitri was rarely one to avoid uncomfortable subjects. In fact, he was notorious for pushing me into conversations about topics I didn't want to deal with. But talking about our dysfunctional, star-crossed relationship? That was a place he apparently didn't want to go today. Yeah. Things were definitely changing. **

**"I think you're the one who's cold," I teased, as we walked around the side of the dorm where novice guardians lived. "Shouldn't you be all tough and stuff, since you're from Siberia?"**

"rose, you have already visited Siberia." Said Viki. "Not before this book" I said.

"**I don't think Siberia's exactly what you imagine." **

**"I imagine it as an arctic wasteland," I said truthfully. **

**"Then it's definitely not what you imagine." **

**"Do you miss it?" I asked, glancing back to where he walked behind me. It was something I'd never considered before. In my mind, **_**everyone **_**would want to live in the U.S. Or, well, they at least wouldn't want to live in Siberia.**

"of course I miss it" said Dimitri

**"All the time," he said, his voice a little wistful. "Sometimes I wish—" **

**"Belikov!"**

"Hehe…did you guys get caught?" asked Lissa

"nope." I said popping the 'p'

**A voice was carried on the wind from behind us. Dimitri muttered something, and then shoved me further around the corner I'd just rounded. "Stay out of sight." **

**I ducked down behind a bank of holly trees that flanked the building. They didn't have any berries, but the thick clusters of sharp, pointed leaves scratched where my skin was exposed. Considering the freezing temperature and possible discovery of my late-night walk, a few scratches were the least of my problems right now. **

**"You're not on watch," I heard Dimitri say several moments later. **

**"No, but I needed to talk to you." I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alberta, captain of the Academy's guardians. "It'll just take a minute. We need to shuffle some of the watches while you're at the trial."**

"What trail?" asked Mia.

"The book will reveal everything" I said in a mysterious voice. They laughed.

"I figured," he said. There was a funny, almost uncomfortable note in his voice. "It's going to put a strain on everyone else—bad timing."

"Yes, well, the queen runs on her own schedule." Alberta sounded frustrated, and I tried to figure out what was going on. "Celeste will take your watches, and she and Emil will divide up your training times."

"**Training times? Dimitri wouldn't be conducting any trainings next week because— Ah. That was it, I realized. The field experience. Tomorrow kicked off six weeks of hands-on practice for us novices. We'd have no classes and would get to protect Moroi night and day while the adults tested us. The "training times" must be when Dimitri would be out participating in that. But what was this trial she'd mentioned? Did they mean like the final trials we had to undergo at the end of the school year? **

**"They say they don't mind the extra work," continued Alberta, "but I was wondering if you could even things out and take some of their shifts before you leave?" **

**"Absolutely," he said, words still short and stiff. **

**"Thanks. I think that'll help." She sighed. "I wish I knew how long this trial was going to be. I don't want to be away that long. You'd think it'd be a done deal with Dashkov- "**

"Dashkov, as in Victor Dashkov" Christian asked his smile turning into a frown.

"Exactly as in Victor Dashkov" I agreed

**But now I hear the queen's getting cold feet about imprisoning a major royal." **

**I stiffened. The chill running through me now had nothing to do with the winter day. **_**Dashkov?**_

Lissa turned pale. "Calm, down Liss" I said

Christian pulled her into a hug.

**I'm sure they'll do the right thing," said Dimitri. I realized at that moment why he wasn't saying much. This wasn't something I was supposed to hear. **

**"I hope so. And I hope it'll only take a few days, like they claim. Look, it's miserable out here. Would you mind coming into the office for a second to look at the schedule?" **

**"Sure," he said. "Let me check on something first." **

**"All right. See you soon."]**

"first time I hear, Belikov not saying a secret to Rose" said my mom.

"hey, I tell you everything , don't I?" Abe asked. This was probably a foreplay. My mom blushed and I decided I never want to see her blush again.

**Silence fell, and I had to assume Alberta was walking away. Sure enough, Dimitri rounded the corner and stood in front of the holly. I shot up from my hiding spot. The look on his face told me he already knew what was coming. **

**"Rose—" **

**"Dashkov?" I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low so Alberta wouldn't hear. "As in Victor Dashkov?" **

**He didn't bother denying it. "Yes. Victor Dashkov."**

"there goes the one secret he didn't tell her" said Eddie.

Dimitri promptly ignored him and continued kissing my neck

**"And you guys were talking about…Do you mean…" I was so startled, so dumbstruck, that I could barely get my thoughts together. This was unbelievable. "I thought he was locked up! Are you saying he hasn't been on trial yet?" **

**Yes. This was definitely unbelievable. Victor Dashkov. The guy who'd stalked Lissa and tortured her mind and body in order to control her powers. Every Moroi could use magic in one of the four elements: earth, air, water, or fire. Lissa, however, worked an almost unheard of fifth element called spirit. She could heal anything—including the dead. It was the reason I was now psychically linked to her—**

"no longer" she said smiling.

**"-shadow-kissed," some called it. She'd brought me back from the car accident that had killed her parents and brother, binding us together in a way that allowed me to feel her thoughts and experiences. **

**Victor had learned long before any of us that she could heal, and he'd wanted to lock her away and use her as his own personal Fountain of Youth. He also hadn't hesitated to kill anyone who got in his way—or, in the case of Dimitri and me, use more creative ways to stop his opponents. I'd made a lot of enemies in seventeen years, but I was pretty sure there was no one I hated as much as Victor Dashkov—at least among the living.**

Lissa started shaking

"Liss, please" I said

**Dimitri had a look on his face I knew well. It was the one he got when he thought I might punch someone. "He's been locked up—but no, no trial yet. Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time."**

**"But there's going to be a trial now? And you're going?" I spoke through clenched teeth, trying to be calm. I suspected I still had the I'm going to punch someone look on my face.**

"i wonder what would have happened if you had punched him" said Adrian.

"i would never, evr punch someone who is as hot as he is" i said

Dimitri smiled

"**Next week. They need me and some of the other guardians to testify about what happened to you and Lissa that night." His expression changed at the mention of what had occurred four months ago, and again, I recognized the look. It was the fierce, protective one he got when those he cared about were in danger. "Call me crazy for asking this, but, um, are Lissa and I going with you?" I had already guessed the answer, and I didn't like it.**

**"No."**

**"No?"**

**"No."**

"no" added Chrisian.

"no" said Adrian

"no" said Eddie

"no"said Lissa

"no" said mia

"guys, stop it" i said

"NO" they said.

i rolled my eyes

**I put my hands on my hips. "Look, doesn't it seem reasonable that if you're going to talk about what happened to us, then you should have us there?"Dimitri, fully in strict-instructor mode now, shook his head. "The queen and some of the other guardians thought it'd be best if you didn't go. There's enough evidence between the rest of us, and besides, criminal or not, he is—or was—one of the most powerful royals in the who know about this trial want to keep it quiet.""So, what, you thought if you brought us, we'd tell everyone?" I exclaimed. "Come on,comrade. You really think we'd do that? The only thing we want is to see Victor locked . Maybe longer. And if there's a chance he might walk free, you have to let us go."After Victor had been caught, he'd been taken to prison, and I'd thought that was where thestory had ended. I'd figured they'd locked him up to rot. It had never occurred to me—though it should have—that he'd need a trial first. At the time, his crimes had seemed so obvious. But,although the Moroi government was secret and separate from the human one, it operated in a lot of the same ways. Due process and all that."It's not my decision to make," Dimitri said.**

"I felt like I let you down" mumbled Dimitri into my hair.

"no, you didn't" i said

**"But you have influence. You could speak up for us, especially if…" Some of my anger dimmed just a little, replaced by a sudden and startling fear. I almost couldn't say the next words. "Especially if there really is a chance he might get off. Is there? Is there really a chance the queen could let him go?""I don't know. There's no telling what she or some of the other high-up royals will do sometimes." He suddenly looked tired. He reached into his pocket and tossed over a set of keys."Look, I know you're upset, but we can't talk about it now. I have to go meet Alberta, and you need to get inside. The square key will let you in the far side door. You know the one."**

"you trusted her with a key?" asked my mom.I was famous for losing keys.

I didnt reply. I was too busy kissing Dimitri

**I was sulking and hated to be that way—especially since he was saving me from getting in trouble—but I couldn't help it. Victor Dashkov was a criminal—a villain, even. He was power-hungry and greedy and didn't care who he stepped on to get his way. If he were loose again…well, there was no telling what might happen to Lissa or any other Moroi. It enraged me to think that I could do something to help put him away but that no one would let me do it. I'd taken a few steps forward when Dimitri called out from behind me. "Rose?" I glanced back."I'm sorry," he said. He paused, and his expression of regret turned wary. "And you'd better bring the keys back tomorrow."I turned away and kept going. It was probably unfair, but some childish part of me believed Dimitri could do anything. If he'd really wanted to get Lissa and me to the trial, I was certain he could have.**

"i couldnt Roza. why would I deny you something if I could do it?" he said

"awwwwwww" trailed Viki."i never knew you could speak so romantically, bro" she teased

**When I was almost to the side door, I caught movement in my peripheral vision. My mood plummeted. Great. Dimitri had given me keys to sneak back in, and now someone else had busted me. That was typical of my luck. Half-expecting a teacher to demand to know what I was doing, I turned and prepared an excuse. But it wasn't a teacher."No," I said softly. This had to be a trick. "No."**

"who was it?" Viki asked.

"mason" i said

**For half an instant, I wondered if I'd ever really woken up. Maybe I was actually still in bed,asleep and surely, surely that was the only explanation for what I was now seeing in front of me on the Academy's lawn, lurking in the shadow of an ancient, gnarled was Mason.**

**"**I wish I had seen him" Eddie said sadly.

I couldn't reply. Seeing him siting there with his head in his hands, I felt myself thinking about hw much he and Mason used to be. Fine, i was Mason's supposed girlfriend. But, Eddie was a real friend to him.

"who is reading next?" he asked.

"i will" said Dimitri

"**chapter 2" **he read...


	4. Chapter 4

**OR, WELL, IT LOOKED LIKE MASON. **

**He—or it or whatever—was hard to see. I had to keep squinting and blinking to get him in focus. His form was insubstantial—almost translucent—and kept fading in and out of my field of vision. **

A sob interupted us.I was sitting on Dimitri's lap looking at the book while he was reading.

I looked up to see Eddie crying his heart out. I said "Ed?No reply."eddie?". Still no reply.  
"EDDIE?" I said on the verge of crying.I couldn't stand to see him cry.

H looked up tears streaming own his face. "ma..ma...mas..mason" he sobbed. the others were still sitting frozen. I got up and sat next to him. "come on, Ed. You are making me cry. stop..please" I begged. Eddie and me had developed a brother-sister relationship. Hearing that I may cry, made him stop a little. The others had come out of their shock and they all got up hastily to comfort him. With all the cosoling, Eddie soon camed down."Iam so sorry" he said."Its just that miss Mase so much". Mia pulled him into a hug. I was surprised. Was there something going on between those two? Lissa looked at me with the same question in her eyes. I shrugged and shook my started reading again.

**But yes, from what I could see, he definitely looked like Mason. His features were washed out, making his fair skin look whiter than I recalled. His reddish hair now appeared as a faint, watery orange. I could barely even see his freckles. He was wearing exactly what I'd last seen him in: jeans and a yellow fleece jacket.**

"He looked cute in that" I said sadly. In other circumstances dimitri would have glared at that pperson who I had commented about or he would have growled. But now he just kissed me and said"its ok Roza".

**The edge of a green sweater peeped out from underneath the coat's hem. Those colors, too, were all softened. He looked like a photograph that someone had left out in the sun, causing it to fade. A very, very faint glow seemed to outline his features. **

"why dont we skip this part seeing that this is disturbing Castile" said Abe.

"No!" said Eddie."I want to know everything that happened in this book"

**The part that struck me the most—aside from the fact that he was supposed to be dead—was the look on his face. It was sad—so, so sad**

Eddie rubbed away his tears.

**Looking into his eyes, I felt my heart break. All the memories of what had taken place just a few weeks ago came rushing back to me. I saw it all again: his body falling, the cruel look on the Strigoi faces…. A lump formed in my throat. I stood there frozen, stunned and unable to move. **

I remembered how I had felt when Mase died. He had been an important part of my life. I had realised it only after he had gone. But a little part of me was happy for him. He had moved on into something good. Dimitri sensing my discomfort murmured soothing words to me in Russian. I could never understand its meaning. But it always soothed me. Maybe it was his voice.

**He studied me too, his expression never changing. Sad. Grim. Serious. He opened his mouth, like he might speak, and then closed it. Several more heavy moments hung between us, and then he lifted his hand and extended it toward me. Something in that motion snapped me out of my daze. No, this could **_**not **_**be happening. I wasn't seeing this. Mason was dead. I'd seen him die. I'd held his body. **

I felt a tear falling down my cheek. I hastily wiped it away, but everyone had already seen it. "that's it" said Abe." we are skipping this objections"

Adrian nodded, agreeing. "Rose, I know Mason was a huge part in your life but you have moved on. He has too. Remember him as you best friend, your brother and remember him only,only with good memories. If Mason was here, he wouldn't like you to cry because of Rose" he said. This was the first time in a long time,I had seen Adrian serious. Since I had broken up with him, he had always been sarcastic.

Dimitri swept through the pages

**Among humans, the light of day tends to chase off nightmares and fear. I had no such daylight; I awoke to increasing darkness. But just being out with real and living people had nearly the same effect, and as I went to breakfast and my morning practice, I found that what I'd seen last night—or what I **_**thought **_**I'd seen last night—was growing fainter and fainter in my memory. **

**The weirdness of that encounter was also being replaced by something else: excitement. This was it. The big day. The start of our field experience. **

"The first time I heard my daughter happy for an exam" commented my mother, trying to lighten up the mood in the room.

**For the next six weeks, I wouldn't have any classes. I'd get to spend my days hanging out with Lissa, and the most I'd have to do was write a daily field report that was only about a half-page long. Easy.**

"But you were assigned to Christian, weren't you" asked Lissa.

"yup" I said, trying futilely to lighten up my mood.

**And, yeah, of course I'd be on guard duty, but I wasn't concerned. That was second nature to me. She and I had lived among humans for two years, and I'd protected her the whole time.**

Lissa and I smiled recalling those happy times.

**Before that, when I'd been a freshman, I'd seen the kinds of tests the adult guardians planned for novices during this phase. The ordeals were tricky, absolutely. A novice had to be on watch and not slack—**_**and **_**be ready to defend and attack if necessary. None of that worried me, though. Lissa and I had been away from the school our sophomore and junior years, and I'd fallen behind then. Thanks to my extra practices with Dimitri, I'd quickly caught up and was now one of the best in my class. **

**"**Glad to help" said Dimitri."thank you" I said. "for what?" he said. "for being my mentor, for making me a badass guardian, for being my lover and finnaly just being there"

"i will always be there for you, Roza"

"you know, you two aren't alone" said Eddie "I dont want to see my sister making out with her boyfriend in front of me"

I poked him.

**"Hey, Rose." **

**Eddie Castile caught up to me as I walked into the gym where our field experience orientation would kick off. For a brief moment, looking at Eddie, my heart sank. **

"why?" asked Eddie. "woman are never bored seeing me" he said in a very 'Adrian' voice. Adrian chuckled "hey, that's true". We laughed

**Suddenly, it was like I was out in the quad again with Mason, staring at his sorrowful face. **

Eddie sombered again hearing Mase's name. Dimitri hastily continued reading

**Eddie—along with Lissa's boyfriend, Christian, and a Moroi named Mia—had been with our group when we'd been captured by Strigoi. Eddie hadn't died**

**"**obviously" he said.

**, obviously, but he'd come very close to it. The Strigoi who'd held us had used him as food, feeding from him throughout our capture in an effort to tease the Moroi and scare the dhampirs. It had worked; I'd been terrified. Poor Eddie had been unconscious for most of the ordeal, thanks to blood loss and the endorphins that came from a vampire's bite.**

Eddie shivered, no doubt recalling those memories.

**He'd been Mason's best friend and nearly as funny and lighthearted.**

**"**thanks for the praise" he said sarcastically.

"you are welcome" I said with equal sarcasm.

**But since we'd escaped, Eddie had changed, just like I had. He was still quick to smile and laugh, but there was a grimness to him now, a dark and serious look in his eyes that was always on guard for the worst to happen. That was understandable, of course. He pretty much **_**had **_**seen the worst happen. Just like with Mason's death, I held myself responsible for this transformation in Eddie and for what he'd suffered at the hands of the Strigoi. That may not have been fair to me, but I couldn't help it. **

"you shouldn't have" he said.  
"i couldn't help it" I said.

**I felt like I owed him now, like I needed to protect him or make things up to him somehow. **

**And that was kind of funny, because I think Eddie was trying to protect me. He wasn't stalking me or anything, but I'd noticed him keeping an eye on me **

**"**hey, you have to protect your sister, you know" said Christian.

"yes, Christian. I have never seen you protecting me, even though you claim that iam your sister. "

**I think after what had happened, he felt he owed it to Mason to watch over his girlfriend. I never bothered to tell Eddie that I hadn't been Mason's girlfriend, not in the real sense of the word,**

**"**I can see that now"Eddie said glancing at me and Dimitri warily.

**just as I never rebuked Eddie for his big brother behavior. **

**"**huh" he said

"huh what" I asked

"huh, you better not have rebuked me"said Eddie

**I could certainly take care of myself. But whenever I heard him warning other guys away from me, pointing out that I wasn't ready to date anyone yet, I saw no point in interfering. It was all true. I wasn't ready to date. **

"why?" asked Christian.

"because of Dimitri and Mason''

**Eddie gave me a lopsided smile that added a little boy type of cuteness to his long face. "Are you excited?" **

Mia glared at me. I raised both my eyebrows at her."what -oh" I said. It suddenly struck me. Mia and Eddie were in a relationship. Me calling him cute made her angry. "hey, I would never call my brother anything more than cute" I said. She shrugged. Eddie whispered something to Mia and she giggled. this was definitely a foreplay and I didn'twant to witness it;I motioned Dimitri to keep reading.

**"Hell, yeah," I said. Our classmates were filling in bleachers on one side of the gym, and we found a clear spot near the middle. "It's going to be like a vacation. Me and Lissa, together for six weeks." As frustrating as our bond was sometimes, it nonetheless made me her ideal guardian. I always knew where she was and what was happening to her. Once we graduated and were out in the world, I'd be assigned to her officially. **

**He turned thoughtful. "Yeah, I guess you don't have to worry as much. You know your assignment when you graduate. The rest of us aren't so lucky." **

"you got Lissa in the field experience, didnt you?" I asked. he nodded.

**"You got your sights set on someone royal?" I teased. **

**"Well, it doesn't matter. Most guardians are assigned to royals lately anyway." **

**That was true. Dhampirs—half-vampires like me—were in short supply**

**"**Its easy to make them, you know" said Abe glancing at my mom. Christian gagged. Abe glared at him.

**and royals usually got first pick of guardians. There was a time in the past when more Moroi, royal and non-royal alike, would have gotten guardians, and novices like us would have competed fiercely to get assigned to someone important. Now it was almost a given that every guardian would work for a royal family. There weren't enough of us to go around, and less influential families were on their own**.

"like ours had been" said Mia sadly. Mia's mom was killed by Strigoi.

**"Still," I said, "I guess it's a question of which royal you get, right? I mean, some are total snobs, but lots of them are cool. Get someone really rich and powerful, and you could be living at the Royal Court or traveling to exotic places." That last part appealed to me a lot, and I often had fantasies of Lissa and me traveling the world. **

thats what we are doing now. Me, Lissa, Dimitri, Christian and Eddie who was the other guardian for Lissa went to exotic places to sightsee. Usually it was just Eddie who went sightseeing because me and Dimitri,Lissa and Christian were usually busy in our beds. Poor Eddie would go sightseeing to spend his time.

**"Yup," agreed Eddie. He nodded toward a few guys in the front row. "You wouldn't believe the way those three have been sucking up to some of the Ivashkovs and Szelskys. It won't affect their assignments here, of course, but you can tell they're already trying to set things up after graduation." **

"did they get what they wanted?" I asked.

"nope" Ed said.

"They are busy filing away papers"

**"Well, the field experience can affect that. How we're rated on this will go into our records." **

"how much were you rated?" asked Mia.

"I never knew" I said.I had left before they gave the results to kill the Strigoi Dimitri.

**Eddie nodded again and started to say something when a loud, clear feminine voice cut through the murmur of our conversation. We both looked up. While we'd been talking, our instructors had gathered in front of the bleachers and now stood facing us in an impressive line. Dimitri was among them, dark and imposing and irresistible.**

**"**Really, Rose?"Adrian asked with raised eyebrows."Even during your training?"

"I can always detect if Dimitri's anywhere in the room."I said and shrugged.

"I can too" Dimitri said.

**Alberta was trying to call us to attention. The crowd fell silent. **

**"All right," she began. Alberta was in her fifties, wiry and tough. Seeing her reminded me of the conversation she and Dimitri had had last night, but I filed that away for later. Victor Dashkov was not going to ruin this moment. "You all know why you're here." We'd become so quiet, so tense and excited, that her voice now rang through the gym. "This is the most important day of your education before you take your final trials. Today you will find out which Moroi you've been placed with. Last week, you were given a booklet with the full details of how the next six weeks will play out. I trust you've all read it by now." I had, actually. I'd probably never read anything so thoroughly in my life. "Just to recap, Guardian Alto will highlight the main rules of this exercise**."

**"**I am going to skip this para" Dimitri said.

"yes please." said Christian."i dont wish to know the rules and regulations for all these"

Dimitri skipped a few paragraphs.

**We all straightened up as she leafed through her papers. Students whispered. Beside me, Eddie exhaled heavily. "Oh man. I hope I get someone good," he muttered. "I don't want to be miserable for the next six weeks." **

**I squeezed his arm reassuringly.**

"are we finished yet?" asked Adrian.

"no" I said

**"You will," I whispered back. "Er, get someone good, I mean. Not be miserable."**

Eddie chuckled. Lissa was giggling.

"are we finished yet" asked Adrian

"no" said Abe

**\"Ryan Aylesworth," Alberta announced clearly. Eddie flinched, and I instantly knew why. Before, Mason Ashford had always been the first one called on any class lists. That would never happen again. "You are assigned to Camille Conta." **

**"**Are we finished yet" asked Adrian

"no" said Lissa

**Damn," muttered someone behind us, who'd apparently been hoping to get Camille. **

**Ryan was one of the suck-ups in the front row, and he grinned broadly as he walked over to take his packet. The Contas were an up-and-coming royal family. It was rumored that one of their members was a candidate for when the Moroi queen eventually named her heir. Plus, Camille was pretty cute. Following her around wouldn't be too hard for any guy. Ryan, walking with a swagger, seemed very pleased with himself. **

**"Dean Barnes," she said next. "You have Jesse Zeklos." **

Dimitri growled. He was remembering the time when he had busted me and Jesse making out. After seeing Dimitri throw Jesse aroung like a puppy, I was never attracted towards Jesse again.

"are we finished yet?" asked Adrian

"no" said Christian.

**"Ugh," Eddie and I both said together. If I'd been assigned to Jesse, he would have needed an extra person to protect him. From me. **

**Alberta kept reading names, and I noticed Eddie was sweating. "Please, please let me get someone good," he muttered. **

**"You will," I said. "You will." **

**"Edison Castile," Alberta announced. He gulped. "Vasilisa Dragomir." **

"I heard you threw a tantrum for me" said Lissa.

"Oh Lissa, I would do anything for you" I said in a romantic voice. Christian said "hey, that's what I am supposed to say"

"are we finished yet?" asked Adrian his voice swaggering as he held a bottle of vodka in his hand. Wonder where he found it?

"no" said Eddie

**Eddie and I both froze for the space of a heartbeat, and then duty made him stand up and head toward the floor. As he stepped down the bleachers, he shot me a quick, panicked look over his shoulder. His expression seemed to say, **_**I don't know! I don't know! **_

"Ooh, am I that bad?" asked Lissa

"yes, oh, yes,,Lissa!I am so scared of you that I happen to be sitting right next to you" said Eddie snarkily.

"Are we finished yet?" asked Adrian

"no" said Mia

**That made two of us. The world around me slowed to a blur. Alberta kept calling names, but I didn't hear any of them. What was going on? Clearly, someone had made a mistake. Lissa was **

_**my **_**assignment. She had to be. I was going to be her guardian when we graduated. This made no sense. Heart racing, I watched Eddie walk over to Guardian Chase and get his packet and practice stake. He glanced down at the papers immediately, and I suspected he was double-checking the name, certain there was a mix-up. The expression on his face when he looked up told me that it was Lissa's name he'd found. **

**I took a deep breath. Okay. No need to panic just yet. Someone had made a clerical error here, one that could be fixed. In fact, they'd have to fix it soon. When they got to me and read Lissa's name **_**again, **_**they were going to realize they'd double-booked one of the Moroi. They'd straighten it out and give Eddie someone else. After all, there were plenty of Moroi to go around. They outnumbered dhampirs at the school. **

**"Rosemarie Hathaway." I tensed. "Christian Ozera." **

**''**Are we finished yet?" asked Adrian

Dimitri swore."NO" we all shouted.

**I simply stared at Alberta, unable to move or respond. No. She had **_**not **_**just said what I thought. A few people, noticing my lack of movement, glanced back at me. But I was dumbstruck. This wasn't happening. My Mason delusion from last night seemed more real than this. A few moments later, Alberta also realized I wasn't moving. She looked up from her clipboard with annoyance, scanning the crowd. **

**"Rose Hathaway?" **

**"**Present, mam" I mumbled.

**Someone elbowed me, like maybe I didn't recognize my own name. Swallowing, I stood and walked down the bleachers, robot-like. There was a mistake. There **_**had **_**to be a mistake. I headed toward Guardian Chase, feeling like a puppet that someone else was controlling. He handed me my packet and a practice stake meant to "kill" the adult guardians with, and I stepped out of the way for the next person. **

**Disbelieving, I read the words on the packet's cover three times. **_**Christian Ozera. **_**Flipping it open, I saw his life spread out before me. A current picture. His class schedule. His family tree. His bio. It even went into detail about his parents' tragic history, how they'd chosen to become Strigoi and had murdered several people before finally being hunted down and killed.**

****Christian's eyes clouded with hurt.

**Our directions at this point had been to read through our dossiers, pack a bag, and then meet up with our Moroi at lunch. As more names were called, many of my classmates lingered around **

**the gym, talking to their friends and showing off their packets. I hovered near one group, discreetly waiting for a chance to talk to Alberta and Dimitri. It was a sign of my newly developing patience that I didn't walk right up to them then and there and demand answers. Believe me, I wanted to. Instead, I let them go through their list, but it felt like forever. Honestly, how long did it take to read a bunch of names? **

"I remember myself applying lipstick on my fingernails waiting for both of you to stop reading and come down" i said. they all laughed

**When the last novice had been assigned his Moroi, Stan shouted above the din for us to move on to the next stage of the assignment and tried to herd out my classmates. I cut through the crowd and stalked up to Dimitri and Alberta, who blessedly were standing with each other. They were chatting about something administrative and didn't notice me right away. **

**"**Oh my god, the great Rose Hathaway's presence ignored?" said Eddie dramatically.

"I noticed her right away, but Alberta was talking to me so.." Dimitri trailed off

**When they did glance at me, I held up my packet and pointed. "What's this?" **

**Alberta's face looked blank and confused. Something in Dimitri's told me he'd been expecting this. "It's your assignment, Miss Hathaway," Alberta said. **

**"No," I said through gritted teeth. "It's not. This is somebody else's assignment." **

**"The assignments in your field experience aren't optional," she told me sternly. "Just as your assignments in the real world won't be. You can't pick who you protect based on whim and mood, not here and certainly not after graduation." **

**"But after graduation, I'm going to be Lissa's guardian!" I exclaimed. **

"you are' said Lissa

**"Everyone knows that. I'm supposed to have her for this thing." **

**"I know it's an accepted idea that you'll be together after graduation, but I do not recall any mandatory rulings that say you're 'supposed' to have her or anyone **_**here **_**at school. You take who you're assigned."**

**'**bam**" **said Christian

**"Christian?" I threw my packet on the floor. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm guarding him." **

Christian put a hand over his heart and acted as if he was getting a heart attack. I rolled my eyes.

"rose, you shouldn't speak to your instructors like that" my mom said.

"yes mom. Of course mom" I said bored. Abe grinned delighted

**"Rose!" snapped Dimitri, joining the conversation at last. His voice was so hard and so sharp that I flinched and forgot what I was saying for half a second.**

"sorry" he said." 's ok" i said reaching up to kiss him.

"**You're out of line. You do **_**not **_**speak to your instructors like that." **

**I hated being chastised by anyone. I especially hated being chastised by him. And I **_**especially **_**hated being chastised by him when he was right. **

"dramatic, arent you" asked Adrian.

I shrugged

**But I couldn't help it. I was too angry, and the lack of sleep was taking its toll. My nerves felt raw and strained, and suddenly, little things seemed difficult to bear. And big things like this? Impossible to bear. **

**"Sorry," I said with great reluctance. "But this is stupid. Nearly as stupid as not bringing us to Victor Dashkov's trial." **

"Rose said sorry?" said Adrian in a shocked voice.

"if you dont shut up now, you will be sorry too" Dimitri said. Adrian shutted up.

**Alberta blinked in surprise. "How did you know—Never mind. We'll deal with that later. For now, this is your assignment, and you need to do it." **

**Eddie suddenly spoke up beside me, his voice filled with apprehension. I'd lost track of him earlier. "Look … I don't mind…. We can switch…." **

**Alberta turned her stony gaze from me to him. "No, you certainly cannot. Vasilisa Dragomir is **_**your **_**assignment." She looked back at me. "And Christian Ozera is yours. End of discussion." **

"yeah, end of discussion. Can we take a break now?" Mia asked. "Its almost evening and I am hungry"

"yeah,sure" I said taking Dimitri's hand and leading him outside.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for not updating guys but from now on I can only update on Saturdays and Sundays**_

Me and Dimitri were making out when Mia came and called us to the room again.

"let's continue" Christian said.

**This is stupid!" I repeated. "Why should I waste my time with Christian? Lissa's the one I'm going to be with when I graduate. Seems like if you want me to be able to do a good job, you should have me practice with her."**

"You are wasting your time with me? Oh Roza, please don't hurt me" said Christian with mock hurt. Somehow Dimitri calling me Roza was fine with me but my nick name was certainly off-limits to Sparky. I got up, slapped him on his face and walked back to sit on Dimitri's lap.

"Ow" Christian said.

**"You will do a good job with her," said Dimitri**

"gee, thanks comrade" I said. He rolled his eyes.

**"Because you know her. And you have your bond. But somewhere, someday, you could end up with a different Moroi. You need to learn how to guard someone with whom you have absolutely no experience." **

**"I have experience with Christian," I grumbled. "That's the problem. I hate him."**

Sparky smirked. "gee, thanks Rose. What an absolutely amazing complement"

**Okay, that was a huge exaggeration. Christian annoyed me, true, but I didn't really hate him.**

"there goes the one compliment I got from my sister" he muttered

**As I'd said, working together against the Strigoi had changed a lot of things. Again, I felt like my lack of sleep and general irritability were cranking up the magnitude of everything. **

**"So much the better," said Alberta. "Not everyone you protect will be your friend. Not everyone you protect will be someone you like. You need to learn this." **

**"I need to learn how to fight Strigoi," I said. "I've learned that in class." I fixed them with a sharp look, ready to play my trump card. **_**"And **_**I've done it in person."**

"pfft." Said Abe.

**"There's more to this job than the technicalities, Miss Hathaway. There's a whole personal aspect—a bedside manner, if you will—that we don't touch on much in class. We teach you how to deal with the Strigoi. You need to learn how to deal with the Moroi yourselves. And **_**you **_**in particular need to deal with someone who has not been your best friend for years." **

**"You also need to learn what it's like to work with someone when you can't instantly sense that they're in danger," added Dimitri. **

"Like Christian" Eddie said, nodding.

**"Right," agreed Alberta. "That's a handicap. If you want to be a good guardian—if you want to be an excellent guardian— then you need to do as we say." **

**I opened my mouth to fight this, to argue that having someone I was so close to would train me up faster and make me a better guardian for any other Moroi. Dimitri cut me off.**

"by kissing you?" Adrian asked.

"I wish" I said

**"Working with another Moroi will also help keep Lissa alive," he said. **

**That shut me down. It was pretty much the only thing that could have, and damn him,-"**

Dimitri raised his eyebrows at that.

**he knew it. **

**"What do you mean?" I asked. **

**"Lissa's got a handicap too—you. If she never has a chance to learn what it's like to be guarded by someone without a psychic connection, she could be at greater risk if attacked. Guarding someone is really a two-person relationship. This assignment for your field experience is as much for her as for you." **

**I stayed silent as I processed his words. They almost made sense.**

"Almost?" Dimitri asked, his eyebrows still raised. "it makes perfect sence to me, Roza" he said

"Well, my logic is better that yours" I argued back.

He didn't fight back. He knew it was better not to. He would take revenge in bed. That was fine with me.

**"And," added Alberta, "it's the only assignment you're going to get. If you don't take it, then you opt out of the field experience." **

**Opt out? Was she crazy?**

"Rose" said my mom exasperated

**It wasn't like a class I could sit out from for one day. If I didn't do my field experience, I didn't graduate. I wanted to explode about unfairness, but Dimitri stopped me without saying a word. The constant, calm look in his dark eyes held me back, encouraging me to accept this gracefully—or as close as I could manage.**

"Wow, we should have Dimitri with us whenever we go shopping, Rose" said Lissa. When I and Lissa went shopping, the boys in the mall would wolf-whistle at us or use the Come-hither motion. I usually go to them and slap them on their face or kick them in their gut.

The actual reason I don't take Dimitri with me to shops is because he loses his temper easily when he sees all this.

**Reluctantly I picked up the packet. "Fine," I said icily. "I'll do this. But I want it noted that I'm doing this against my will." **

**"I think we already figured that out, Miss Hathaway," remarked Alberta dryly. **

**"Whatever. I still think it's a horrible idea, and you eventually will too." **

**I turned and stormed off across the gym before any of them could respond. In doing so, I fully realized what a bitchy little brat I sounded like. But if they'd just endured their best friend's sex life,**

Lissa blushed

**seen a ghost, and hardly gotten any sleep, they'd have been bitchy too. Plus, I was about to spend six weeks with Christian Ozera. He was sarcastic, difficult, and made jokes about everything. **

**Actually, he was a lot like me. **

"yippee, Iam like the great Rose Hathaway" said Christian sarcastically.

**It was going to be a long six weeks**.

"who's reading next?" asked Abe

"I will" said my mom.

_**I know this is a short chapter but I will update today once more if I can. And thank you Donna 010203,**_

_**EmmalovesDimitri,GabriellaBelikova,Iam Ev7ra,,Aniezillea,Ilovevampiresangels,Rose-loves-Dimitri,Rose-Dimitri-forever,RozaBelikov14,Samwysesr,Tataina Belikova,VKScarlett,fiorellaxDDD,Gingerbread98,Rose Hathaway23,royp159,totalRandum,xXVampireacademyXx,AlexRoseRusso,AllieAussieBritishMuffin,Asheyyxx,**__**Redneck**__** IC Fan,Rozabelikov14,pinkzebra28724,MoncheleGleek1919,Riellie,it makes sense in context and # mysterious guests...or is it just one guest writing 3 reviews? I hope I got all your names and spelling correct**_


	6. Chapter 6

"**WHY SO GLUM, LITTLE DHAMPIR?" I was heading across the quad, toward the**

**commons, when I detected the scent of clove cigarettes. I sighed. "Adrian, you are the last**

**person I want to see right now." Adrian Ivashkov hurried up beside me, blowing a cloud of**

**smoke into the air that of course drifted right toward me.**

"there's my dramatic entrance" said had a new bottle of vodka in his hand. God knows where he gets his supply.

**I waved it off and made a great show**

**of exaggerated coughing. Adrian was a royal Moroi we'd "acquired" on our recent ski trip. He**

**was a few years older than me and had come back to St. Vladimir's to work on learning spirit**

**with Lissa. So far, he was the only other spirit user we knew of.**

"Hey, my entrance has to be more dramatic than that. Preferably with a lot of girls drooling on sight of me.

**He was arrogant and spoiled**

**and spent a lot of his time indulging in cigarettes, alcohol, and women.**

"yep, that's him" Eddie said. Christian laughed.

**He also had a crush on**

**me—or at least wanted to get me into bed.**

"Thank God, cradle robber is in a good mood" he muttered. Then looking at Dimitri's face he added "maybe not" and grimaced. Dimitri chuckled. I grinned.

**"Apparently," he said. "I've hardly seen you at all since we got back. If I didn't know better, I'd**

**say you were avoiding me."**

**"I am avoiding you."**

**He exhaled loudly and raked a hand through the sable brown hair he always kept stylishly**

**messy.**

"See, even you admit my hair is awesome" he said grinning from ear to ear.

"I never said it was not" I said.

**"Look, Rose. You don't have to keep up with the hard-to-get thing. You've already got**

**me."**

**Adrian knew perfectly well I wasn't playing hard-to-get, but he always took a particular delight**

**in teasing me. "I'm really not in the mood for your so-called charm today."**

**"What happened, then? You're stomping through every puddle you can find and look like you're**

**going to punch the first person you see."**

"wonder why you bothered with me then" I muttered

**Why are you hanging around, then? Aren't you worried about getting hit?"**

"you won't hit my charming face" Adrian said.

**"Aw, you'd never hurt me. My face is too pretty.**

"Pretty?" said Cristian.

"you just said your face was pretty" asked Mia.

"Adrian, you know, you sound exactly like a girl" said Eddie.

Lissa mimicked Adrian "_Aww, you'd never hurt me. My face is too pretty"_

We all started laughing. "Liss, Sparky is seriously rubbing off on you" I said.

**"Not pretty enough to make up for the gross, carcinogenic smoke blowing in my face. How can**

**you do that? Smoking's not allowed on campus. Abby Badica got two weeks' detention when**

**she got caught."**

**"I'm above the rules, Rose. I'm neither student nor staff, merely a free spirit wandering your fair**

**school as I will."**

"Dramatic much?" asked Viktoria.

Lissa giggled.

**"Maybe you should go do some wandering now."**

**"You want to get rid of me, you tell me what's going on."**

**There was no avoiding it. Besides, he'd know soon enough. Everyone would know. "I got**

**assigned to Christian for my field experience."**

**There was a pause, and then Adrian burst out laughing.**

"what 's so funny" asked Abe, who had dozed off before. We were still giggling… actually Lissa,Mia and Viki were giggling and I was laughing outright while the boys watched me with amusement.

"you would have known if you had been awake" my mom said.

"sorry, Janine darling" my dad said. My mom blushed. Christian gagged. I mouthed _I know_ to him.

**"Wow. Now I understand. In light of**

**that, you actually seem remarkably calm."**

**"I was supposed to have Lissa," I growled. "I can't believe they did this to me."**

**"Why did they do it? Is there some chance you might not be with her when you graduate?"**

**"No. They just all seem to think this is going to help me train better now. Dimitri and I will still**

**be her real guardians later.".**

"We are not" I said pouting.

Dimitri smiled

**Adrian gave me a sidelong glance. "Oh, I'm sure that'll be quite the hardship for you."**

Dimitri grimaced. And glared at Adrian who was drinking down his vodka.

**It had to be one of the weirdest things in the universe that Lissa had never come close to**

**suspecting my feelings for Dimitri but that Adrian had figured it out.**

"How did you figure it out?" I asked.

"figure what out?'' he asked still drinking his vodka

"about me and Dimitri"

"your aura" he replied

**"Like I said, your commentary isn't appreciated today."**

**He apparently didn't agree. I had a suspicious feeling he'd been drinking already, and it was**

**barely even lunchtime. "What's the problem? Christian'll be with Lissa all the time anyway."**

"is it that obvious?" asked Lissa

I nodded, trying to keep myself from laughing at her face.

**Adrian had a point. Not that I'd have admitted it.**

"you have now" Adrian said

**Then, in that short-attention-span way of his,**

**he switched subjects just as we neared the building.**

**"Have I mentioned your aura to you?" he asked suddenly. There was a strange note to his voice.**

**Hesitant. Curious. It was very uncharacteristic. Everything he usually said was mocking.**

"hey!" he said.

**"I don't know. Yeah, once. You said it was dark or something. Why?" Auras were fields of light**

**that surrounded every person. Their colors and brightness were allegedly linked to a person's**

**personality and energy. Only spirit users could see them. Adrian had been doing it for as long**

**as he could remember, but Lissa was still learning.**

"I wish I know what mine looks like now" Lissa said a little wistfully.

Adrian struggled to gain control of himself and then peered at her. "you have some gold-that's love-because you are with Christian, some blue-that's guilt and some…wait there is another orb inside you" he said.

"Guys, I am pregnant' she gasped out.

There was a silence in the room and then I jumped on her. "Oh my god, Liss, why didn't you tell me?" I gushed. "I wanted to tell Christian first" she said looking at me apologetically. Christian hugged her, pure joy and happiness in his face. She laughed in excitement. "When?" he asked. "Last Sunday" she said. "I wasn't sure how to tell you"

"Sparky is gonna become a father" I said.

Eddie laughed.

**"Hard to explain. Maybe it's nothing." He came to a stop near the door and inhaled deeply on**

**his cigarette. He went out of his way to blow a cloud of smoke away from me, but the wind**

**carried it back. "Auras are strange. They ebb and flow and change colors and brightness. Some**

**are vivid, some are pale. Every once in a while, someone's will settle and burn with such a pure**

**color that you can…" He tipped his head back, staring into the sky. I recognized the signs of**

**that weird "unhinged" state he sometimes fell into. "You can instantly grasp what it means. It's**

**like seeing into their soul."**

**I smiled. "But you haven't figured mine out, huh? Or what any of these colors mean?"**

**He shrugged. "I'm figuring it out. You talk to enough people, get a feel for what they're like and**

**then start to see the same kinds of people with the same kinds of colors…. After a while, the**

**colors start to mean something."**

**"What's mine look like right now?"**

**He glanced over at me. "Eh, I can't quite get a fix on it today."**

**"I knew it. You've been drinking." Substances, like alcohol or certain medications, numbed**

**spirit's effects.**

**"Just enough to chase the chill away. I can guess what your aura's like, though. It's usually like**

**the others, sort of those swirling colors—it's just kind of edged in darkness. Like you've always**

**got a shadow following you."**

I shuddered. "shadow kissed" Abe murmured.

**Something in his voice made me shiver. Although I'd heard him and Lissa talk about auras a**

**lot, I'd never really thought of them as anything I needed to worry about. They were more like**

**some kind of stage trick—a cool thing with little substance**

"you think its cool?" Lissa asked. "that's an AWESOME"

**"That's so cheerful," I said. "You ever think about motivational speaking?"**

**His scattered look faded, and his normal mirth returned. "Don't worry, little dhampir. You**

**might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll always be like sunshine to me."**

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**I rolled my eyes. He**

**dropped his cigarette onto the sidewalk and put it out with his foot. "Gotta go. See you later."**

**He swept me a gallant bow and started walking away toward guest housing.**

**"You just littered!" I yelled.**

"He gave birth to puppies or kittens?" asked Christian.

"haha,,,bvery funny" said Adrian

**"Above the rules, Rose," he called back. "Above the rules."**

**Shaking my head, I picked up the now-cold cigarette butt and took it to a garbage can that was**

**outside the building. When I entered, the warmth inside was a welcome change as I shook off**

**the slush on my boots. Down in the cafeteria, I found lunch wrapping up for the afternoon.**

**Here, dhampirs sat side by side with Moroi, providing a study in contrasts. Dhampirs, with our**

**half-human blood, were bigger—though not taller— and more solidly built. The girl novices**

**were curvier than the ultra-slim Moroi girls, the boy novices far more muscular than their**

**vampire counterparts. **

"Hey, I have muscles too" said Christian .

**The Moroi complexions were pale and delicate, like porcelain, while ours**

**were tanned from being outside in the sun so much.**

**Lissa sat at a table by herself, looking serene and angelic in a white sweater. **

"Serene and angelic?" said Lissa shaking her head

**Her pale blond**

**hair cascaded over her shoulders. She glanced up at my approach, and welcoming feelings**

**flowed to me through our bond. She grinned. "Oh, look at your face. It's true, isn't it? You**

**really are assigned to Christian." I glared.**

**"Would it kill you to be a little less miserable?" She gave me a censuring yet amused look as**

**she licked the last of her strawberry yogurt off her spoon. "I mean, he's my boyfriend, after all. I**

**hang out with him all the time. It's not that bad."**

**"You have the patience of a saint," I grumbled, slouching into a chair. "And besides, you don't**

**hang out with him 24/7."**

"yes, she does" Christian said.

"no she doesn't" I said

"yes"

"no" I said

"no" Lissa said.

"no?" asked Christian

"I meant no, you guys are NOT going to fight about me" Lissa said

**"Neither will you. It's only 24/6."**

**Same difference. It might as well be 24/10."**

Everyone raised one eyebrow. "hey no fair." I said pouting. Dimitri pecked me on my lips.

**She frowned. "That doesn't make any sense." I**

**waved off my idiotic remark and stared blankly around the lunchroom. The room was buzzing**

**with news of the impending field exercise, which would kick off as soon as lunch ended.**

**Camille's best friend had gotten assigned to Ryan's best friend, and the four of them huddled**

**gleefully together, looking as though they were about to embark on a six-week double date. At**

**least someone would enjoy all this. I sighed. Christian, my soon-to-be charge, was off with the**

**feeders—humans who willingly donated blood to Moroi.**

**Through our bond, I sensed Lissa wanting to tell me something. She was holding off because**

**she was worried about my bad mood and wanted to make sure I got enough support. I smiled.**

**"Stop worrying about me. What's up?"**

**She smiled back, her pink-glossed lips hiding her fangs. "I got permission."**

**"Permission for—?" The answer flitted from her mind faster than she could have voiced it.**

**"What?" I exclaimed. "You're going to stop your meds?"**

"what?" asked Christian "you never told me"

"I didn't wwant to make you worry" Lissa said sheepishly

**Spirit was an amazing power, one whose cool abilities we were just starting to figure out. It had**

**a very nasty side effect, however: It could lead to depression and insanity. Part of the reason**

**Adrian indulged in drinking so much (aside from his party nature) was to numb himself against**

**these side effects. Lissa had a much healthier way of doing it. She took antidepressants, which**

**completely cut her off from the magic altogether. She hated not being able to work with spirit**

**anymore, but that was an acceptable trade-off for not going crazy. Well, I thought it was. She**

**apparently disagreed if she was considering this insane experiment. I knew she'd been wanting**

**to try the magic again, but I hadn't really thought she'd go through with it—or that anyone**

**would let her.**

**"I have to check in with Ms. Carmack every day and regularly talk to a counselor." Lissa made**

**a face at this last part, but her overall feelings were still quite upbeat. "I can't wait to see what I**

**can do with Adrian."**

**"Adrian's a bad influence."**

"you dated a bad influence" Eddie pointed out. "he's not as bad as he seemed to be" I said. Adrian grinned.

**"He didn't make me do this, Rose. I chose it." When I didn't answer, she lightly touched my**

**arm. "Hey, listen. Don't worry. I've been so much better, and lots of people are going to have**

**my back."**

**"Everyone except me," I told her wistfully. Across the room, Christian entered through a set of**

**double doors and approached us.**

"girls notice my presence everywhere" he said. Eddie gagged. Christian punched him playfully in his arm.

**The clock read five minutes until the end of lunch. "Oh man.**

**The zero hour is almost here."**

**Christian pulled up a chair at our table and flipped it backwards, letting his chin rest on its**

**slatted back. He brushed his black hair away from his blue eyes and gave us a smug smile. I felt**

**Lissa's heart lighten at his presence.**

Lissa blushed.

**"I can't wait until this show gets on the road," he said.**

**"You and me are going to have so much fun, Rose. Picking out**

**curtains, doing each other's hair, telling ghost stories "**

Adrian choked on his drink with laughter.

**The reference to "ghost stories" hit a little closer to home than I was comfortable with. Not that**

**choosing curtains or brushing Christian's hair was much more appealing.**

**I shook my head in exasperation and stood up. "I'll leave you two alone for your last few**

**private moments." They laughed.**

Dimitri chuckled.

**I walked over to the lunch line, hoping to find some leftover doughnuts from breakfast. So far, I**

**could see croissants, quiche, and poached pears. It must have been highbrow day at the**

**cafeteria. Was deep-fried dough really too much to ask for? Eddie stood in front of me. His face**

**turned apologetic as soon as he saw me.**

**"Rose, I'm really sorry—"**

**I put up a hand to stop him. **

Adrian imitated the book-me

I glared

**"Don't worry. It's not your fault. Just promise me you'll do a good**

**job protecting her."**

**It was a silly sentiment since she was in no real danger, but I could never really stop worrying**

**about her—particularly in light of this new development with her medication.**

**Eddie stayed serious, apparently not thinking my request was silly at all. He was one of the few**

**who knew about Lissa's abilities—and their downsides, which was probably why he'd been**

**selected to guard her. "I won't let anything happen to her. I mean it."**

"gee thanks guys" Lissa said rolling her eyes

"hey, we have to take care of princesses" Eddie said

"Queen" me and Christian corrected him automatically.

**I couldn't help a smile, in spite of my glum mood. His experiences with the Strigoi made him**

**take all of this more seriously than almost any other novice. Aside from me, he was probably**

**the best choice to guard her.**

**"Rose, is it true you punched Guardian Petrov?"**

**I turned and looked into the faces of two Moroi, Jesse Zeklos and Ralf Sarcozy. They'd just**

**stepped in line behind Eddie and me and looked more self-satisfied and annoying than usual.**

**Jesse was all bronzed good looks and quick thinking. Ralf was his slightly less attractive and**

**slightly less intelligent sidekick. They were quite possibly the two people I hated most at this**

**school, mainly due to some nasty rumors they'd spread about me doing some very explicit**

**things with them.**

Dimitri growled remembering the little episode

**It was Mason's strong-arming that had forced them to tell the truth to the**

**school, and I don't think they'd ever forgiven me for that.**

**"Punch Alberta? Hardly." I started to turn around, but Ralf kept talking.**

**"We heard you threw a big hissy fit in the gym when you found out who you were with."**

"Hissy? What is he-sixty?" asked Christian

**"'Hissy fit'? What are you, sixty**?

"See, you guys are exactly the same" Lissa said

**All I did was—" I paused and carefully chose my words. "—**

**register my opinion."**

Abe laughed

**"Well," said Jesse. "I suppose if anyone's going to keep an eye on that Strigoi wannabe, it might**

**as well be you. You're the biggest badass around here."**

**The grudging tone in his voice made it sound like he was complimenting me. I didn't see it that**

**way at all. Before he could utter another word, I was standing right in front of him, with barely**

**any space between us. In what I considered a true sign of discipline, I didn't put my hand**

**around his throat. His eyes widened in surprise.**

"you are like me Kiz" said Abe

"thanks, old man" I said

**"Christian has nothing to do with any Strigoi," I said in a low voice.**

**"His parents—"**

**"Are his parents. And he's Christian. Don't confuse them."**

"If I didn't know better, I would say you had supported Christian" said Eddie

**Jesse had been on the wrong side of**

**my anger before. He was clearly remembering that, and his fear warred with his desire to trashtalk**

**Christian in front of me. Surprisingly, the latter won out**.

"wrong choice boy" said Viki to the book –jesse

**"Earlier you acted like being with him was the end of the world, and now you're defending**

**him? You know how he is—he breaks rules all the time. Are you saying you seriously don't**

**believe there's any chance at all he might turn Strigoi like his parents?"**

**"None," I said. "Absolutely none. Christian's more willing to take a stand against Strigoi than**

**probably any other Moroi here." Jesse's eyes flicked curiously toward Ralf before returning to**

**me. "He even helped me fight against those ones in Spokane. There is no chance of him ever,**

**ever turning Strigoi." I racked my brain, trying to recall who had been assigned to Jesse for the**

**field experience. "And if I hear you spreading that crap around, Dean isn't going to be able to**

**save you from me."**

**"Or me," added Eddie, who had come to stand right beside me.**

"Gotta have my sister's back you know" he said

**Jesse swallowed and took a step back. "You're such a liar. You can't lay a hand on me. If you**

**get suspended now, you'll never graduate."**

**He was right, of course, but I smiled anyway. "Might be worth it. We'll have to see, huh?"**

**It was at that point that Jesse and Ralf decided they didn't want anything from the lunch line**

**after all. They stalked off, and I heard something that sounded suspiciously like "crazy bitch."**

**"Jerks," I muttered. Then I brightened. "Oh, hey. Doughnuts."**

"roza" said Dimitri shaking his head.

"and she says I have short attention span" Adrian muttered

"SHE can hear you" I said

**I got a chocolate-glazed, and then Eddie and I hurried off to find our Moroi and get to class. He**

**grinned at me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just defended Christian's honor. Isn't he a**

**pain in the ass?"**

**"Yes," I said, licking icing off my fingers. "He is. But for the next six weeks, he's my pain in the**

**ass."**

"end of chapter" said Janine.


	7. Pls help!

**Authors nnotice**

**i know, I know, hate these too! But iam wondering whether I should do the whole book , chapter by chapter or I should just do the important parts of the book. Pls review and giv me ideas!**


	8. Chapter 7

**I**"am reading"

**Chapter 4" **said Mia.

She started reading a random para

"**Culinary science?" I cried. "You elected **_**culinary science? **_**That's like the most brainless class ever." **

**"It is not," he countered. "And even if it was … well, hey, it's my last semester, right?" I groaned. **

**"Come on, Rose," laughed Lissa. "It's just one class period. It won't be that—"**

"Nothing happened. Some guardians attacked some novices,that's all" said Mia, scanning the para. "I am going to skip this…." She said, scanning the page quickly to find something interesting

**One of the guardians distracted Ryan while the other—Dimitri, I now saw—grabbed Camille. She screamed, not faking her fear. She apparently didn't find being in Dimitri's arms as thrilling as I did.**

Dimitri chuckled.

**I wanted Dimitri to be good at everything**

"Is he good in bed?" asked Adrian

"Do you want to try with him" I asked.

Dimitri grimaced.

Adrian gagged

"Oh…here is an interesting conversation" said Eddie peeping into the book/

**To my disappointment, Christian wasn't making a cake. **

**"What is that?" I asked, watching him take out a bowl of some kind of raw, ground-up meat from the refrigerator**.

"meat" Christian said.

**"Meat," he said, dumping it onto a cutting board. **

**"I know that, you idiot. What kind?" **

**"Ground beef." He pulled another container out and then another. "And this is veal. And this is pork." **

**"Do you have, like, a that you're going to feed?" **

"Only If you wanted some" Christian replied snarkily.

**"Only if you want some. This is for meatloaf." **

"You have a weird ability of recalling past conversations" Lissa noted

**I stared.**

"At?" asked Adrian.

"Shut up, Adrian" I said

**"With three kinds of meat?" **

**"Why eat something called meatloaf if you aren't actually going to get some meat out of it?"**

Abe rolled his eyes. I had forgotten he was there

**I shook my head. "I can't believe this is only the first day with you." **

**He glanced down, focusing on kneading his tri-meat creation together. "You sure are making a big deal out of this. Do you really hate me that much? I heard you were screaming at the top of your lungs back in the gym."**

"ooh!Rosie and Chrisse are going to have a heart to heart conversation" teased Adrian

**"No, I wasn't. And … I don't hate you at all," I admitted. **

**"You're just taking it out on me because you didn't get paired with Lissa." **

**I didn't answer. He wasn't that far off. **

**"You know," he continued, "it might actually be a good idea for you to practice with someone different." **

**"I know. That's what Dimitri says too."**

"As if you listen to everything he says" said my mom

"Hey!" I said

**Christian put the meat into a bowl and started adding some other ingredients. "Then why question it? Belikov knows what he's doing.**

"Even Christian likes him" muttered Adrian.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow.

Adrian didn't want to admit it but knew he had some respect for Dimitri no matter how much times he acted like he wanted to strangle Dimitri. Dimitri had a respect for Adrian too. He knew that Adrian was there for me when he wasn't and he was thankful for that.

**I'd trust anything he says. It sucks that they're going to lose him after we graduate, but I'd rather see him with Lissa."**

"The whole book is about Lissa and Dimitri,isn't it?"

"yes" I said

**"Me too." **

**He paused and looked up, meeting my eyes. We both smiled, amused at how shocked we were to have agreed with each other. A moment later, he returned to his work. **

**"You're good too," he said, not **_**too **_**grudgingly. "The way you handled yourself…"**

"Spokane?" asked my mom

I nodded.

**He didn't finish the thought, but I knew what he was talking about. Spokane. Christian hadn't been around when I killed the Strigoi, but he'd been instrumental in helping with the escape. He and I had teamed up, using his fire magic as a means of letting me subdue our captors. We'd worked well together, all of our animosity put aside. **

**"I guess you and I have better things to do than fight all the time," I mused.**

"yes! Rose and Christian are agreeing, come on, grab a camera and snap a pic, they are even smiling at each other" said Eddie, sarcasm a note in his voice.

**. Like worry about Victor Dashkov's trial, I realized. For a moment, I considered telling Christian what I'd learned. He'd been around the night it had all gone down with Victor last fall, but I decided not to mention the news just yet. Lissa needed to hear it first. **

**"Yup," Christian said, unaware of my thoughts. "Brace yourself, but we aren't that different.**

"gee, Chris, what a discovery" said Lissa,rolling her eyes

**I mean, I'm smarter and a lot funnier,**

I snorted

**but at the end of the day, we both want to keep her safe." He hesitated. "You know…I'm not going to take her away from you. I can't. No one can, not as long as you guys have that bond." **

"you can't separate us even if we don't have the bond" I said smiling

**I was surprised he'd brought this up. I honestly suspected that there were two reasons he and I argued a lot. One was that we both had personalities that liked to argue. The other reason—the big one—was that we were each envious of the other's relationship with Lissa.**

Lissa's smile turned into a frown. She knew that I had to change my life for her

**But, as he'd said, we really had the same motives. We cared about her. **

**"And don't think the bond will keep you guys apart," I said. I knew the link bothered him. How could you ever get romantically close to someone when they had that kind of connection with **

**another person, even if that other person was just a friend? "She cares about you. …" I couldn't bring myself to say "loves.**

"Christian, if you don't wipe that smirk off your face I will wipe it for you" I said

**"She has a whole separate place for you in her heart."**

"why do i feel you are on the verge of hugging each other and calling cute nicknames?" asked Abe

**Christian put his dish in the oven. "You did **_**not **_**just say that. I have a feeling we're on the verge of hugging and coming up with cute nicknames for each other." He was trying to look disgusted at my sentiment, but I could tell he liked being told that Lissa cared about him. **

**"I already have a nickname for you, but I'll get in trouble if I say it in class." **

my mom glared at me

**"Ah," he said happily. **_**"That's **_**the Rose I know."**

**No attacks occurred, but a guardian named Dustin did come in to make notes on us novices as we held our positions. He was standing near me right when Jesse chose to stroll by. At first, I thought it was a coincidence—until Jesse spoke. **

Dimitri stiffened.I whispered "its ok, comrade.I didn't beat him up or anything"  
**"I take back what I said earlier, Rose. I figured it out.**

"Did it hurt?" asked Christian

**You aren't upset because of Lissa or Christian. You're upset because the rules say you have to be with a student, and Adrian Ivashkov's too old.**

"even a Zeklos thinks we are soul mates" said looking at Dimitri's face, he added "But I don't"

**The way I hear it, you guys have already had a lot of practice watching each other's bodies." **

Dimitri chuckled. I was surprised . He was so relaxed. I was happy that he was not envious of my relationship with Adrian anymore. He knew that I had moved on and Adrian had also moved on.

"fast forward it again" said Christian.

Mia skimmed through the paragraph until she came to something interesting

**Finally, my first test. **

**Adrenaline shot through me just as strongly as if a real Strigoi were approaching. I reacted instantly, reaching out to grab both Brandon and Christian. That was always the first move, to throw my own life before theirs.**

Dimitri nodded as if he approved.

**I jerked the two guys to a halt and turned toward my attacker, reaching for my stake in order to defend the Moroi— **

**And that's when** **he appeared.**

**Mason.**

"Are you and Eddie ok with this para or should I skip?" asked Mia

I motioned her to keep reading.

**He stood several feet in front of me, off to Stan's right, looking just as he had last night. Translucent. Shimmering. Sad. **

**The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I froze, unable to move or finish going for my stake. I forgot about what I'd been doing and completely lost track of the people and commotion around me. The world slowed down, everything fading around me. There was only Mason—that ghostly, shimmering Mason who glowed in the dark and seemed like he so badly wanted to tell me something. The same feeling of helplessness I'd experienced in Spokane returned to me. I hadn't been able to help him then. I couldn't help him now. My stomach turned cold and hollow. I could do nothing except stand there, wondering what he was trying to say.**

Dimitri hugged me

**He lifted one translucent hand and pointed off toward the other side of campus, but I didn't know what it meant. There was so much over there, and it wasn't clear what he was pointing at. I shook my head, not understanding but desperately wishing I could. The sorrow on his face seemed to grow. **

**Suddenly, something slammed into my shoulder, and I stumbled forward. The world suddenly started up again, snapping me out of the dreamy state I'd just been in. I only barely managed to throw out my hands in time to stop myself from hitting the ground. I looked up and saw Stan standing over me.**

"i never liked that guy" said my mom

** "Hathaway!" he barked. "What are you doing?" I blinked, still trying to shake off the weirdness of seeing Mason again. I felt sluggish and dazed. I looked into Stan's angry face and then glanced over at where Mason had been. He was gone. I turned my attention back to Stan and realized what had happened. In my distraction, I'd completely spaced while he'd staged his attack. He now had one arm around Christian's neck and one around Brandon's. He wasn't hurting them, but his point was made. **

**"If I had been a Strigoi," he growled, "these two would be dead."**

"End of chapter" Mia said.

_**I was wondering whether you are happy with this arrangement.I am only doing important parts and if you want a part of a chapter to be done please review and tell me which part you would like me to do.**_

_**The next chapter is when Rose gets told off and Dimitri and her have a conversation**_


	9. Chapter 8

**HEY GUYS.I SAW THAT SOME OF YOU WANTED SOME ROMITRI MOMENTS SO THIS IS AN EXTRA CHAPTER ENJOY!**

"Why don't we all go out?" asked Lissa. "good idea" said Christian stretching his legs.

"I have some work to do" said Abe

"and I have to meet Stan" said Janine

"fine we will go to Pizza Hut" said Eddie.

"Okay, lets meet here in five minutes."

Dimitri and I walked back to our guardian quarters. He started "Roza, I am sorry about that. I knew you would never cheat on me but I couldn't help it. Iam so sorry" I held up a hand to stop him. "You're not forgiven" I said mischievously. "Please?" he asked. I shook my head trying to keep the smile off my face. He sighed running a hand through his hair. "don't be difficult, Roza" he said.

I didn't reply. "What do I have to do?" he asked. "I want a kiss and another one and another one…." I said. He sighed again. "Come here" he said opening his arms. I walked into them without hesitation. He kissed me and when we broke off, it was for breath. "Am I forgiven?" he asked a little breathless. We were leaning on the bed post . I leaned my head against the post."nope" I said popping the 'p'. "a deal is a deal, Roza" he said a warning in his tone. "nope" I said again. He pushed me so we both fell on the bed him on top of me. "do you know when a deal is not kept there is a punishment." He asked, his hands sliding to my hips. I gasped, finally understanding what he was going to do. "NO, Dimitri" I said. "yes, Roza"" he said grinning. He started tickling me and finally I was begging him "Dim…Dimi…Dimitri please stop/….Stop..STOP" I said trying to push him off me. Finally he stopped and got off me. I changed into a dress and we went to meet the others.

"about time you got here" said Lissa.

I grinned and said "come on, let's go"

We were soon settled into a comfy couch in Pizza hut. A few guys looked at me and a few girls looked at Dimitri drooling. Dimitri "suddenly felt he didn't want to sit on the other couch" and came and sat next to me. After digging into a few pizzas we returned to court. "Iam going to change" said Lissa dragging Christian with her. Dimitri and me came back to our room. I changed out of my dress into a shirt and shorts. As I was fixing my hair, Dimitri came and slid a hand along my waist, pulling me to him. We were making out when suddenly Dimitri swore. I looked at him confused. He said " we have to go" . "Oh…crap" I said. I had …believe it or not….forgotten about the fact that the others were waiting for us. As we jogged to the room where everyone was, I put a hand out to stop Dimitri opening the door. He looked at me. I whispered the plan into his ear. He smiled and nodded, his eyes twinkling. He walked off. I took a deep breath, smudged my makeup and crumpled my dress. I counted three and ran into the room, letting tears fall down my face. "Rosie, were Dimitri and you practicing how to remove each other's clothing…." Trailed off Christian, taking in my appearance. Eddie was the first to recover from the shock. He rushed to my side "what happened,Rose" he asked. I cried into his shoulder "iam….iam… pregnant" I said. "what?" asked Lissa shocked. Mia's face crumpled in disgust. ""Why, Rose? Dimitri loved you and you cheated on him?" She said. "who was it Rose?" Lissa asked quietly, her voice deadly calm. "it….was …" I said trailing off. Dimitri burst in the door. Everyone became silent. Lissa and Christian looked at him with sorrow. "Rose…what…" he trailed off. I didn't say anything. Lissa said "she's pregnant, Dimitri". When Dimitri replied it was a surprise to everyone. He said "I know" calmly."Who was it, Rose?" Christian asked. "Dimitri" I replied still sobbing. "But..Bbut" Adrian trailed off, a comical look on his face. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. Dimitri looked at me amused, chuckling. Everyone looked at us shocked. Dimitri explained "Rose here wanted to conduct a drama" he said still chuckling. "SO you aren't pregnant" asked Eddie fully confused.I nodded still laughing. Christian smirked. "I always knew you were a liar" He said. I smacked him playfully. "what's so funny?" asked Abe and my mom entering the room. "Nothing just sharing a joke" I said hastily.

"I want to read" I said.

As I searched for the right page in the book, Dimitri whispered in my ear. "You know I wouldn't have minded if you were pregnant. With my child" he said.I grinned and started reading.


	10. Want a beta

_**Hey guys! I update only on Saturdays and Sundays but am looking for a eta to help me...can anyone help.?please.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**MOST DISCIPLINARY ISSUES AT the Academy went to Headmistress Kirova. She oversaw Moroi and dhampirs alike and was known for her creative and oft-used repertoire of punishments.**

"What a compliment" said Eddie rolling his eyes.

**She wasn't cruel, exactly, but she wasn't soft, either. She simply took student behavior seriously and dealt with it as she saw fit. **

**There were some issues, however, that were beyond her jurisdiction**.

Lissa gasped. "you mean you went to the council. Why didn't you tell me?" said asked raising her eyebrows. I shrugged "didn't want to worry you". She grimaced.

**The school's guardians calling together a disciplinary committee wasn't unheard of, but it was very, very rare. You had to do something pretty serious to piss them off to get that sort of response. Like, say, willfully endangering a Moroi. Or **_**hypothetically **_**willfully endangering a Moroi**.

I rolled my eyes.

**I sat in one of the guardians' meeting rooms, facing my committee: Alberta, Emil, and one of the other rare female guardians on campus, Celeste. They sat at a long table, looking imposing, while I sat in a single chair and felt very vulnerable.**

"you were feeling vulnerable?" asked Christian. "The Rose Hathaway was feeling vulnerable? Unimaginable" he said fake gasping

I stuck out my tongue at him.

**Several other guardians were sitting in and watching, but thankfully, none of my classmates were there to see this humiliation. Dimitri was among the watchers. He was not on the committee, and I wondered if they'd kept him off because of his potentially biased role as my mentor**.

He nodded in the way of agreement. "They were unsure whether I would be fair or not." He said.

**"Miss Hathaway," said Alberta, fully in her strict-captain mode, "you must know why we have a hard time believing that." **

Lissa giggled.

**Celeste nodded. "Guardian Alto saw you. You refused to protect two Moroi—including the one whose protection you were specifically assigned to." **

**"I didn't refuse!" I exclaimed. "I… fumbled." **

**"That wasn't a fumble," said Stan from the watchers. He glanced at Alberta for permission to speak. "May I?" She nodded, and he turned back to me. "If you'd blocked or attacked me and then messed up, that would be a fumble. But you didn't block. You didn't attack. You didn't even try. You just stood there like a statue and did nothing."**

"but what did you say. You couldn't say you saw a ghost. They will think you have gone crazy" Viktoria said.

"they already thought she had gone crazy" Adrian retorted.

"Dimitri helped you didn't he?" asked Lissa.

"YUP" I said

**Understandably, I was outraged. The thought that I would purposely leave Christian and Brandon to be "killed" by a Strigoi was ridiculous. But what could I do? I either confessed to screwing up majorly or to having seen a ghost. Neither option was appealing, but I had to cut my losses. One made me look incompetent. The other made me look insane. I didn't want to be associated with either of those. I much preferred my usual description of "reckless" and "disruptive."**

"reckless and disruptive?" asked Christian "I would rather say you are mindless and irritating"

**"Why am I getting in trouble for messing up?" I asked tightly. "I mean, I saw Ryan mess up earlier. He didn't get in trouble. Isn't that the point of this whole exercise? **_**Practice? **_**If we were perfect, you'd already have unleashed us upon the world!" **

"Rose, you shouldn't talk to your mentors like that" said my mom. Abe grinned

**"Weren't you listening?" said Stan. I swore I could see a vein throbbing in his forehead. I think he was the only one there as upset as I was. At the very least, he was the only one (aside from me) showing his emotions. The others wore poker faces, but then, none of them had witnessed what had happened. If I'd been in Stan's place, I might have thought the worst of me too. "You didn't mess up, because 'messing up' implies that you have to actually **_**do **_**something." **

"At that time I wanted to punch his life out" said Dimitri." You were sitting there obviously saying the truth but they were still thinking you were lying."

"well you can read me like you can read a open western novel, tbut they couldn't" I said.

"open western novel?" asked Mia.

They weren't aware of Dimitri's western fantasy. I laughed. "Dimitri here thinks he is a cowboy from the faraway lands" I said.

**"Okay, then. I froze." I looked at him defiantly. "Does that count as messing up? I cracked under the pressure and blanked out. It turns out I wasn't prepared. The moment came, and I panicked. It happens to novices all the time."**

"your logic was wrong. You had already killed Strigoi. They would have a hard time believing that you would panic" Eddie said. I nodded.

**"To a novice who has already killed Strigoi?" asked Emil. He was from Romania, his accent a bit thicker than Dimitri's Russian one. It wasn't nearly as nice, though.**

"really?" asked Christian with disbelief. "even in the situation you had to think about all these?" he asked

**"It seems unlikely." **

**I dealt out glares to him and everyone else in the room. "Oh, I see. After one incident, I'm now expected to be an expert Strigoi killer? I can't panic or be afraid or anything? Makes sense. Thanks, guys. Fair. Real fair." I slumped back in my seat, arms crossed over my chest. There was no need to fake bitchy defiance. I had plenty of it to dish out.**

"wow….we never knew" said Christian acting surprised. I knocked him on his head.

**Alberta sighed and leaned forward. "We're arguing semantics. Technicalities aren't the point here. What's important is that this morning, you made it very clear you did not want to guard Christian Ozera. In fact … I think you even said you wanted us to be sure we knew that you were doing it against your will **_**and **_**that we'd soon see what a horrible idea it was." Ugh. I **_**had **_**said that. Honestly, what had I been thinking? "And then, when your first test comes around, we find you completely and utterly unresponsive."**

"oh. So they thought you did it for some petty revenge?you wouldn't do that. You would plan and carry it out…and you would succeed" said Mia.

**I nearly flew out of my chair. "That's what this is about? You think I didn't protect him because of some kind of weird revenge thing?" **

**All three of them stared at me expectantly. **

**"You aren't exactly known for calmly and gracefully accepting things you don't like," she replied wryly. **

**This time, I did stand up, pointing my finger at her accusingly. **_**"Not **_**true. I have followed every rule Kirova laid down for me since coming back here.**

"headmistress Kirova'' my mom corrected

**I've gone to every practice and obeyed every curfew." Well, I'd fudged some of the curfews but not willfully. It had always been for the greater good. "There's no reason I'd do this as some kind of revenge! What good would it do? Sta— Guardian Alto wasn't going to really hurt Christian, so it's not like I'd get to see him punched or anything. The only thing I would accomplish is getting dragged into the middle of something like **_**this **_**and possibly facing removal from the field experience." **

**"You **_**are **_**facing removal from the field experience," replied Celeste flatly. **

" but how did you escape from this" Abe asked.

I pointed at Dimitri."this cowboy saved me" I said.

**"Oh." I sat down, suddenly not feeling as bold. Silence hung in the room for several moments, and then I heard Dimitri's voice speak from behind me. **

**"She has a point," he said. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Dimitri knew I wouldn't take revenge like that. He didn't think I was petty. "If she were going to protest or take revenge, she'd do it in a different way." Well, not too petty, at least.**

Everyone laughed.

**Celeste frowned. "Yes, but after the scene she made this morning…" **

**Dimitri took a few steps forward and stood beside my chair. Having his solid presence nearby comforted me. I had a flash of déjà vu, back to when Lissa and I had returned to the Academy **

**last autumn. Headmistress Kirova had nearly expelled me, and Dimitri had stood up for me then too**.

**"This is all circumstantial," he said. "Regardless of how suspicious you think it looks, there's no proof. Removing her from the experience—and essentially ruining her graduation—is a bit extreme without any certainties."**

"Circumstancial? Regardless?suspicious? Essentially? Certainities?" asked Adrian. "what are you trying to do?Improve your vocabulary?" he asked.

Dimitri grimaced

**The committee looked thoughtful, and I focused my attention on Alberta. She had the most power here. I'd always liked her, and in our time together, she'd been strict but always scrupulously fair. I hoped that would still hold true. She beckoned Celeste and Emil toward her, and the other two guardians leaned closer. They had a whispered conference. Alberta gave a resigned nod, and the others leaned back. **

**"Miss Hathaway, do you have anything you'd like to say before we tell you our conclusions?" **

**That I'd **_**like **_**to say? Hell, yeah. There were tons of things. I wanted to say that I wasn't incompetent. I wanted to tell them that I was one of the best novices here. I wanted to tell them that I had seen Stan coming **_**and **_**had been on the verge of reacting. I especially wanted to tell them that I **_**didn't **_**want to have this mark on my record. Even if I stayed in the field experience, I'd essentially have an F for this first test. It would affect my overall grade, which could subsequently affect my future. **

"what other choice did she have?" Christian asked. "would they have pardoned Rose if she admitted she say a ghosts. They would probably put her in a mental hospital.

**But again, what choice did I have? Tell them that I'd seen a ghost? The ghost of a guy who'd had a major crush on me and who had quite likely died because of that crush? **

"He didn't die because of you Roza. He made his own choices. You played a part in his choices. That's all" he said

**I still didn't know what was going on with these sightings. One time I could write off to exhaustion…but I'd seen him—or it—twice now. Was he real? My higher reasoning said no, but honestly, it didn't matter at the moment. If he was real and I told them, they'd think I was crazy. If he wasn't real and I told them, they'd think I was crazy—and they'd be right. I couldn't win here. **

**"No, Guardian Petrov," I said, hoping I sounded meek. "Nothing more to add." **

**"All right," she said wearily. "Here's what we've decided. You're lucky you have Guardian Belikov to advocate for you, or this decision might have been different. We're giving you the benefit of the doubt. You'll go on with the field experience and continue to guard Mr. Ozera. You'll just be on a probation of sorts." **

"that's alright. You have been probation almost always."

**"That's okay," I said. I'd been on probation for most of my academic life. "Thank you." **

**"And," she added. **_**Uh-oh. **_**"Because the suspicion isn't entirely removed, you'll be spending your day off this week doing community service." **

**I jumped out of my chair again. "What?" **

**Dimitri's hand wrapped around my wrist, his fingers warm and controlling. **

"warm and controlling?" Asked Christian amused. "were you having sex or something?"

**"Sit down," he murmured in my ear, tugging me toward the chair. "Take what you can get." **

**"If that's a problem, we can make it next week too," warned Celeste. "And the next five after that." **

**I sat down and shook my head. "I'm sorry. Thank you." **

**The hearing dispersed, and I was left feeling weary and beaten. Had only one day gone by? Surely the happy excitement I'd felt before the field experience had been weeks ago and not this morning. Alberta told me to go find Christian, but Dimitri asked if he could have some time alone with me. She agreed, no doubt hoping he'd set me on the straight and narrow. **

**The room emptied, and I thought he'd sit and talk to me then and there, but instead he walked over to a small table that held a water dispenser, coffee, and other beverages. **

**"You want some hot chocolate?" he asked. **

**I hadn't expected that. "Sure." **

"when had she said no?" asked Abe smiling

**He dumped four packets of instant hot chocolate into two Styrofoam cups and then added in hot water. **

**"Doubling it is the secret," he said when the cups were full. **

**He handed me mine, along with a wooden stirrer, and then walked toward a side door. Presuming I was supposed to follow him, I scurried to catch up without spilling my hot chocolate. **

**"Where are we—oh." **

**I stepped through the doorway and found myself in a little glass-enclosed porch filled with small patio tables. I'd had no idea this porch was adjacent to the meeting room, but then, this was the building the guardians conducted all campus business out of. Novices were rarely allowed. I also hadn't realized the building was built around a small courtyard, which was what this porch looked out to. In the summer, I imagined one could open the windows and be surrounded in greenery and warm air. Now, encased in glass and frost, I felt like I was in some kind of an ice palace. "**Feeling like a princess, Hathaway?" asked Christian.

**Dimitri swept his hand over a chair, brushing off dust. I did the same and sat down opposite him. Apparently this room didn't see a lot of use in the winter. Because it was enclosed, the room was warmer than outdoors, but it wasn't heated otherwise. The air felt chilly, and I warmed my hands on my cup. Silence fell between Dimitri and me. The only noise came from me blowing on my hot chocolate. He drank his right away. He'd been killing Strigoi for years. What was a little scalding water here and there?**

Dimitri rolled his eyes.

**As we sat, and the quiet grew, I studied him over the edge of my cup. He wasn't looking at me, but I knew he knew I was watching.**

"you are not going to have a hot makeout session, are you?" asked Christian.

"i wish" I said.

**Like every other time I looked at him, I was always struck by his looks first. The soft dark hair that he often tucked behind his ears without realizing it, hair that never **_**quite **_**wanted to stay in its tie at the back of his neck. His eyes were brown too, somehow gentle and fierce at the same time. His lips had that same contradictory quality, I realized.**

Adrian coughed.I glared at him

**When he was fighting or dealing with something grim, those lips would flatten and turn hard. But in lighter times … when he laughed or kissed…well, then they'd become soft and wonderful. **

**Today, more than his exterior hit me. I felt warm and safe just being with him. He brought comfort after my terrible day. So often with other people, I felt a need to be the center of attention, to be funny and always have something clever to say. It was a habit I needed to shake to be a guardian, seeing as that job required so much silence. But with Dimitri, I never felt like I had to be anything more than what I already was.**

Dimitri smiled. "now I know why you really fell for me" he said.

**I didn't have to entertain him or think up jokes or even flirt. It was enough to just be together, to be so completely comfortable in each other's presence—smoldering sexual tension aside—**

Christian coughed.

**that we lost all sense of self-consciousness. I exhaled and drank my cocoa. **

**"What happened out there?" he asked at last, meeting my gaze. "You didn't crack under the pressure." **

**His voice was curious, not accusatory. He wasn't treating me as a student right now, I realized. He was regarding me as an equal. He simply wanted to know what was going on with me. There was no discipline or lecturing here. **

**And that just made it all the worse when I had to lie to him.**

"You cannot lie to me" he said.

**"Of course it was," I told him, looking down into my cup. "Unless you believe I really did let Stan 'attack' Christian." **

**"No," he said. "I don't believe that. I never did. I knew you'd be unhappy when you found out about the assignments, but I never once doubted that you'd do what you'd have to for this. I knew you wouldn't let your personal feelings get in the way of your duty." **

**I looked up again and met his eyes, so full of faith and absolute confidence in me. "I didn't. I was mad…Still am a little. But once I said I'd do it, I meant it. And after spending some time with him…well, I don't hate him. I actually think he's good for Lissa,**

Lissa grinned.

**and he cares about her, so I can't get upset about that. He and I just dash sometimes, that's all… **

"sometimes?" asked Eddie

**but we did really well together against the Strigoi. I remembered that while I was with him today, and arguing against this assignment just seemed stupid. So I decided to do the best job I could." I hadn't meant to talk so much, but it felt good to let out what was inside of me, and the look on Dimitri's face would have gotten me to say anything. Almost anything. "What happened then?" he asked. "With Stan?" I averted my eyes and played with my cup again. I hated keeping things from him, but I couldn't tell him about this. In the human world, vampires and dhampirs were creatures of myth and legend—bedtime stories to scare children. Humans didn't know we were real and walking the earth. But just because we were real didn't mean that every other story-time paranormal creature was. We knew that and had our own myths and bedtime stories about things we didn't believe in. Werewolves. Bogeymen. Ghosts. **

**Ghosts played no real role in our culture, short of being fodder for pranks and campfire tales. Ghosts inevitably came up on Halloween, and some legends endured over the years. But in real life? No ghosts. If you came back after death, it** **was because you were a Strigoi. **

Dimitri flinched.

_**I will Update tmrw...i promise ...i hope. and please review. I will make that a pretty please. Please please review. :) I know this chapter's boring but i wasn't in the mood to type. sry.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**At least, that's what I'd always been taught. I honestly didn't know enough now to say what was going on. Me imagining Mason seemed more likely than him being a true ghost, but man, that meant I might seriously be heading into crazy territory. All this time I'd worried about Lissa losing it. Who had known it might be me? **

**Dimitri was still watching me, waiting for an answer. **

**"I don't know what happened out there. My intentions were good … I just… I just messed up."**

"you can't lie to me Roza" Dimitri said

**"Rose. You're a terrible liar." **

"how do you find out?" asked Lissa

"they have some creepy psychic connection" said Mia.

"I cant explain.. It just happenes"

**I glanced up. "No, I'm not. I've told a lot of good lies in my life. People have believed them." **

"not something to be proud of" said my mom

**He smiled slightly. "I'm sure. But it doesn't work with me. For one thing, you won't look me in the eye. As for the other… I don't know. I can just tell." **

"see, i cant really explain it" I said

**Damn. He **_**could **_**tell. He just knew me that well. I stood up and moved to the door, keeping my back to him. Normally, I treasured every minute with him, but I couldn't stick around today. I hated lying, but I didn't want to tell the truth either. I had to leave. **

**"Look, I appreciate you being worried about me…but really, it's okay. I just messed up. I'm embarrassed about it— and sorry I put your awesome training to shame—but I'll rebound. Next time, Stan's ass is mine." **

"bad taste Rose. You want Stan's ass?" asked Adrian

"ugh." I shuddered

**I hadn't even heard him get up, but suddenly, Dimitri was right behind me.**

Christian rolled his eyes

**He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I froze in front of the door leading out. He didn't touch me anywhere else.**

"did you want him to?" asked Adrian

I rolled my eyes.

**He didn't try to pull me closer. But, oh, that one hand on my shoulder held all the power in the world. **

Eddie chuckled.

**"Rose," he said, and I knew he was no longer smiling. "I don't know why you're lying, but I know you wouldn't do it without a good reason. And if there's something wrong— something you're afraid to tell the others—" **

**I spun around rapidly, somehow managing to pivot in place in such a way that his hand never moved yet ended up on my other shoulder. **

**"I'm not afraid," I cried. "I do have my reasons, and believe me, what happened with Stan was nothing. Really. All of this is just something stupid that got blown out of proportion. Don't feel sorry for me or feel like you have to do anything. What happened sucks, but I'll just roll with it and take the black mark. I'll take care of everything. I'll take care of me." It took all of my strength just then not to shake. How had this day gotten so bizarre and out of control? **

**Dimitri didn't say anything. He just looked down at me, and the expression on his face was one I'd never seen before. I couldn't interpret it. Was he mad? Disapproving? **

"I was mostly sad you didn't trust me"

"really comrade? I trust you more than anyone else"

**I just couldn't tell. The fingers on my shoulder tightened slightly and then relaxed. **

"you are not going to do something inappropriate, are you?"

"I wish"

**"You don't have to do this alone," he said at last. He sounded almost wistful, which made no sense. He was the one who'd been telling me for so long that I needed to be strong. I wanted to throw myself into his arms just then, but I knew I couldn't. **

**I couldn't help a smile. "You say that…but tell me the truth. Do **_**you **_**go running to others when you have problems?" **

**"That's the not the same—" **

**"Answer the question, comrade."**

Dimitri chuckled shaking his head.

**"Don't call me that." **

"I never listen. I wil never stop calling you comrade"

**"And don't avoid the question either." **

**"No," he said. "I try to deal with my problems on my own." **

**I slipped away from his hand. "See?" **

**"But you have a lot of people in your life you can trust, people who care about you. That changes things." **

**I looked at him in surprise. "You don't have people who care about you?" **

**He frowned, obviously rethinking his words. "Well, I've always had good people in my life…and there have been people who cared about me. But that doesn't necessarily mean I could trust them or tell them everything." **

**I was often so distracted by the weirdness**

"oh you knew your relationship was weird? Wow what a discovery" said Christian. "Shut it, Sparky"

**of our relationship that I rarely thought about Dimitri as someone with a life away from me. He was respected by everyone on campus. Teachers and students alike knew him as one of the deadliest guardians here. Whenever we ran into guardians from outside the school, they always seemed to know and respect him too. But I couldn't recall ever having seen him in any sort of social setting. He didn't appear to have any close friends among the other guardians—just coworkers he liked. The friendliest I'd ever seen him get with someone had been when Christian's aunt, Tasha Ozera,**

Christian and Dimitri stiffened.

**visited. They'd known each other for a long time, but even that hadn't been enough for Dimitri to pursue once her visit was over. **

**Dimitri was alone an awful lot, I realized, content to hole up with his cowboy novels**

Dimitri rolled his eyes.

**when not working. I **_**felt **_**alone a lot, but in truth, I was almost always surrounded by people. With him being my teacher, I tended to view things as one-sided: He was the one always giving me something, be it advice or instruction. But I gave him something too, something harder to define—a connection with another person.**

"you gave me something else too"

"what?"

"love"

"aww..comrade"

**"Do you trust me?" I asked him. **

**The hesitation was brief. "Yes." **

**"Then trust me now, and don't worry about me just this once." **

**I stepped away, out of the reach of his arm, and he didn't say anything more or try to stop me. Cutting through the room that I'd had the hearing in, I headed for the building's main exit, tossing the remnants of my hot chocolate in a garbage can as I walked past.**

"next chapter I am going to read" said Lissa.

"Come on... lets get this over with" Adrian said

**I HERE HAD ONLY BEEN THREE other witnesses to what had happened out on the quad. Yet, unsurprisingly, everyone seemed to know about it when I returned to the commons later on. **

"rumors spread like wild fire" said Mia.

**Classes were done, but plenty of students moved about in the corridors, off to study or retake tests or whatever. They tried to hide their glances and whispers, but they didn't do a very good job. Those who made eye contact with me either gave me tight-lipped smiles or immediately looked away. **

"how is it that you alone get caught in these situations?" asked Christian

"Its because she is awesome and everyone is jealous of her" said Lissa

"got it Liss" i said

**Wonderful. **

**With no psychic link to Christian,**

"I cant even begin to imagine the results of that" i said

Christian laughed

**I had no clue where to find him. I could sense that Lissa was in the library and figured that would be a good place to start looking. On my way there, I heard a guy's voice call out behind me. **

**"Took things a bit far, didn't you?" **

"you should have said "you mean with your dad?"" said Christian.

"I did think of it" I said

**I turned around and saw Ryan and Camille walking several steps back. If I'd been a guy, the appropriate response would have been, "You mean with your mom?"**

Mia giggled and started to speak.

Christian stopped her

"don't dare say we are so same". She locked her mouth and threw away the key/.

**Because I was not a guy, though, and because I had manners, **

Cough

Cough

Cough

Cough

"oh stop it you guys" I said

**I just said, "Don't know what you're talking about." **

**Ryan hurried to catch up with me. "You know exactly what I mean. With Christian. I heard that when Stan attacked, you were just like, 'Here, take him,' and walked away." **

"wish I could do that" I muttered

**"Oh good God," I groaned. It was bad enough when everyone was talking about you, but why did the stories always end up changing? "That is **_**not **_**what happened." **

**"Oh yeah?" he asked. "Then why did you get called in to see Alberta?" **

**"Look," I said, not feeling so well mannered anymore, "I just messed up the attack…you know, kind of like you did earlier when you weren't paying attention in the hall?" **

_**"Hey," **_**he said, flushing slightly. "I ended up getting in on that—I did my part."**

"that's what they call getting killed nowadays" said Christian rolling his eyes.

**"Is that what they're calling getting killed nowadays?" **

Christian widened his eyes. "do NOT tell we think alike" he said

Dimitri chuckled.

**"At least I wasn't a whiny bitch who refused to fight." **

**I had just about calmed down after speaking with Dimitri, but now my temper was rising already. It was like a thermometer ready to burst. "You know, maybe instead of criticizing others, you should pay more attention to your own guardian duties." I nodded toward Camille. She had thus far been quiet, but her face showed me she was eating all of this up.**

"she is such a gossiping bitch" muttered Mia

"really? I thought you liked her" I asked

"no that was for getting back at you" she flushed

**Ryan shrugged. "I can do both. Shane's farther behind us, and the area ahead is clear. No doors. Easy." He patted Camille's shoulder. "She's safe." **

**"It's an easy place to secure. You wouldn't do so well in the real world with real Strigoi." **

"and she says I am the one who gives Zen lessons" said Dimitri

"Dimitri!" I said

He laughed.

**His smile faded. Anger glinted in his eyes. "Right. The way I hear it, you didn't do such a great job out there either, at least not as far as Mason was concerned."\**

"that guy is so dead" Christian muttered.

**Taunting over what had happened with Stan and Christian was one thing. But implying that I was at fault for Mason's death? Unacceptable. **_**I **_**was the one who'd kept Lissa safe for two years in the human world. **_**I **_**was the one who had killed two Strigoi in Spokane. **_**I **_**was the only novice at this school with **_**molnija **_**marks, the little tattoos given to guardians to mark Strigoi kills. I'd known there had been some whispers about what had happened to Mason, but no one had ever actually said anything to me. The thought of Ryan or anyone else thinking I was to blame for Mason dying was too much. I blamed myself plenty enough already without their help.**

"I have a feeling we are going to witness a fight Eddie said.

**The thermometer broke. **

**In one smooth motion, I reached past him, grabbed Camille, and swung her up against the wall. I hadn't thrown her hard enough to hurt her, but she was clearly startled. Her eyes widened in shock, and I used my forearm to pin her, pressing it against her throat. **

My mom became as red as a tomato. "Rose, you cant just go around throwing people"

"Whatever mom"

**"What are you doing?" exclaimed Ryan, peering back and forth between our faces. I shifted my stance slightly, still keeping the pressure on Camille. **

**"Furthering your education," I said pleasantly. "Sometimes places aren't as easy to secure as you think." **

**"You're crazy! You can't hurt a Moroi. If the guardians find out—" **

**"I'm not," I argued. I glanced toward her. "Am I hurting you? Are you in extreme pain?" **

**There was a hesitation; then she gave as much of a shake of her head as she could manage. **

**"Are you uncomfortable?" **

**A small nod. **

**"See?" I told Ryan. "Discomfort isn't the same thing as pain." **

**"You're insane.**

"Way to go Sherlock Holmes" said Christian

**Let her go." **

**"I'm not done, Ry. Pay attention because here's the point: Danger can come from anywhere. Not just Strigoi—or guardians dressed up like Strigoi. Keep acting like an arrogant asshole who thinks he knows everything"—I pressed my arm in a little harder, still not enough to affect her breathing or cause real pain—"and you miss things. And those things can kill your Moroi." **

**"Okay, okay. Whatever. Please, stop it," he said. His voice wavered. There was no more attitude. "You're scaring her." **

**"I'd be scared too, if my life was in your hands." **

**The scent of cloves alerted me to Adrian's presence. **

"I smell of cloves?" he asked

"mostly" I said

**I also knew that Shane and a few others had come to watch. The other novices looked uncertain, like they wanted to pry me off but were afraid of getting Camille hurt. I knew I should let her go, but Ryan had just made me so angry. I needed to prove a point to him. I needed to get him back. And really, I didn't even feel sorry for Camille either since I was sure she'd done her fair share of gossiping about me too. **

**"This is fascinating," said Adrian, his voice as lazy as usual. "But I think you've made your point." **

**"I don't know," I said. The tone of my voice managed to be both sweet and menacing at the same time. **

"You are some kind of a defending angel" said Dimitri. No wonder you can be sweet and menacing"

**"I still don't think Ryan gets it." **

**"For God's sake, Rose! I get it," cried Ryan. "Just let her go." **

**Adrian moved around me, going over to stand beside Camille. She and I were pressed close together, but he managed to squeeze in so that his face was in my line of sight, almost beside hers. He wore that goofy smirk he normally had, but there was something serious in his dark green eyes.**

"you notice me too much" he said

I rolled my eyes.

**"Yes, little dhampir. Let her go. You're done here." **

**I wanted to tell Adrian to get away from me, that **_**I **_**would be the one to say when this was finished. Somehow, I couldn't get the words out. A part of me was enraged at his interference. The other part of me thought he sounded…reasonable. **

**"Let her go," he repeated. **

**My eyes were all over Adrian now, not Camille. Suddenly, all of me decided he sounded reasonable. Completely reasonable. I needed to let her go. I moved my arm and stepped away. With a gulp, Camille darted behind Ryan, using him like a shield. I saw now that she was on the verge of tears. Ryan simply looked stunned. **

**Adrian straightened up and made a dismissive gesture toward Ryan. "I'd get out of here—before you **_**really **_**annoy Rose." **

"You are so dramatic" Lissa said to Adrian

**Ryan, Camille, and the others slowly backed off from us. Adrian put his arm around me and hurried me away toward the library. I felt weird, kind of like I was waking up, but then, with each step, things grew clearer and clearer. I pushed his arm off me and jerked away. **

**"You just used compulsion on me!" I exclaimed. "You made me let her go." **

**"Someone needed to. You looked like you were seconds away from strangling her." **

**"I wasn't. And I wouldn't have." I pushed open the library door. "You had no right to do that to me. No right at all." Compulsion—making people do what you wanted—was a skill all vampires had to a very small degree. Using it was considered immoral, and most couldn't control it well enough to do any real damage. Spirit strengthened the ability, however, making both Adrian and Lissa very dangerous. **

"I am dangerous?" asked Lissa fake gasping

"yes" we all said acting scared.

**"And **_**you **_**had no right to tackle some poor girl in the hall just to soothe your own hurt pride." **

**"Ryan had no right to say those things." **

**"I don't even know what 'those things' are, but unless I've misjudged your age, you're too old to be throwing a tantrum over idle gossip." **

**"Throwing a—" **

**My words fell short as we reached Lissa working at a table. Her face and feelings told me trouble was coming. Eddie stood a couple feet away from her, leaning against a wall and watching the room. His eyes widened when he saw me, but he didn't say anything at my approach.**

"That's how you should be said my mom, gesturing at Eddie. "serious and dedicated"

**I slid into the chair opposite Lissa**.

_I am so sorry guys. I was stuck with a hell lot of exams so I couldn't really type the story out. I cant really do the story fast until march. I will update periodically but not as fast as i used to. Keep reading adn REVIEW!_


	13. Chapter 13

**I slid into the chair opposite Lissa. **

**"Hey." **

"at that time I was shocked that you could even dare face me after everything happened" Lissa said

"I love dares" I said grinning.

**She looked up and sighed, then returned her attention to the textbook open in front of her. "I wondered when you'd turn up," she said. "Did you get suspended?" **

**Her words were calm and polite, but I could read her underlying feelings. Annoyed. Even a little angry. **

**"Not this time," I said. "Just got stuck with community service." **

**She said nothing, but the irate mood I sensed through the bond remained unchanged. **

**Now I sighed. "Okay, talk to me, Liss. I know you're mad." **

**Adrian looked at me, then her, and then me again. "I feel like I'm missing something here." **

**"Oh, great," I said. "You went and busted up my fight and didn't even know what it was about." **

Adrian laughed. I grinned

**"Fight?" asked Lissa, confusion joining her anger. **

**"What happened?" repeated Adrian. **

"You know I like it when you are kept in the dark" I said

He grimaced

**I nodded to Lissa. "Go ahead, tell him." **

**"Rose got tested earlier and refused to protect Christian." She shook her head, exasperated, and fixed me with an accusatory glare. "I can't believe you're seriously still mad enough to do something like that to him. It's childish." **

**Lissa had jumped to the same conclusions as the guardians. I sighed. "I didn't do it on purpose! I just sat through a whole hearing on this crap and told them the same thing." **

**"Then what happened?" she demanded. "Why **_**did **_**you do it?" **

**I hesitated, unsure what to say. My reluctance to talk didn't even have anything to do with Adrian and Eddie overhearing—though I certainly didn't want them to. The problem was more complex. **

**Dimitri had been right—**

"when is he not?" I said.

He laughed.

" I make mistakes too, Rose" he said

" I love the mistakes you make" I said\

He suddenly turned serious.I tilted his chin making him look at me "hey, its okay. I didn't mean that" I said

He had been thinking of how he refused me when he was turned back into a Dhampir.

He smiled hesitantly.

**there were people I could trust, and two of them I trusted unconditionally: him and Lissa. I'd already held back from telling him the truth. Would I—could I—do the same with her? Although she was mad, I knew without a doubt that Lissa would always support me and be there for me. But just like with Dimitri, I balked at the idea of telling my ghost story. Also just like with Dimitri, it left me in the same bind: crazy or incompetent?**

"you are never incompentant, Rose" Adrian said with an innuendo in his tone.

Christian gagged.

I poked Adrian playfully. He laughed

**Through our bond, I felt her mind, pure and clear. There was no taint, no darkness, or sign of madness—and yet, something tingled in the background. A slight stirring. Antidepressants took awhile to fully get into and out of one's system, but her magic was already waking up after one day. I thought back to my ghostly encounters, dredging up the memory of that sad, translucent Mason. How could I even begin to explain that to her? How could I bring up something as weird and fantastic as that when she'd been trying so hard to get a little normality in her life and now faced the challenge of getting her magic under control? **

**No, I realized. I couldn't tell her. Not yet—especially when it suddenly occurred to me that there was still something else big I needed to let her know about. **

**"I froze," I said finally. "It's stupid. I'd been so cocky about being able to take out anyone, and then Stan …" **

"she proved incompetent to Stan" Mia said grinning

I acted as if i was going to throw up.

Everyone laughed.

"Actually there was a rumour about you and Stan" Eddie said

I stared at Eddie horrified.

He shrugged. "Mason put an end to it" he said.

I grinned.

**I shrugged. "I don't know. I just couldn't react. It… it's really embarrassing. And him of all people." **

**Lissa studied me intently, looking for any sign of dishonesty. It hurt to think that she'd mistrust me, except…well, I **_**was **_**actually lying. As I'd told Dimitri, though, I could be a good liar **

"not to me" he said

"not to you" I agreed

**when I wanted to be. Lissa couldn't tell. **

**"I wish I could read your mind," she mused. **

**"Come on," I said. "You know me. Do you really think I'd do this? Abandon Christian and make myself look stupid on purpose just to get back at my teachers?" **

**"No," she said finally. "You'd probably do it in a way where you wouldn't get caught." **

I glared at Lissa playfully.

**"Dimitri said the same thing," I grumbled. "I'm glad everyone has so much faith in me."**

Eddie smiled. "no one's sarcasm can match yours Rose"

**"We do," she countered. "That's why all of this is so weird." **

**"Even I make mistakes." I put on my brash, overconfident face. "I know it's hard to believe—kind of surprises me myself—but I guess it has to happen. It's probably some kind of karmic way to balance out the universe. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to have one person so full of awesomeness." **

**Adrian, blessedly silent for a change, was watching the two of us talk, much as one would look back and forth at a tennis match. His eyes were narrowed slightly, and I suspected he was studying our auras. **

"I knew you were lying" he said

"of course you did" I said, grimacing. "I didn't think that you would throw me into the deathly clutches of Lissa by saying that out loud"

**Lissa rolled her eyes, but fortunately, the anger I'd felt earlier Had lightened. She believed me. Her gaze then lifted from my face to someone beyond me. I felt the happy, golden emotions that signaled Christian's presence. **

Christian's smile grew bigger

**"My loyal bodyguard returns," he declared, pulling up a chair. He glanced at Lissa. "Are you done yet?" **

**"Done with what?" she asked. **

**He inclined his head toward me. "Giving her a hard time about how she threw me into the deadly clutches of Alto." **

**Lissa blushed. She was already feeling a little bad about jumping on me, now that I'd defended myself sufficiently. Christian's flippant, knowing observation just made her feel more foolish.**

Christian grinned again

**"We were just talking about it, that's all."**

"yeah. Talking" I said nodding.Lissa poked a tongue at me.

**Adrian yawned and slouched back in his chair. "Actually, I think I've figured it all out. This was a scam, wasn't it? A scam to scare me off since I'm always talking about you being my guardian. You thought if you pretended to be a bad guardian, I wouldn't want you. Well, it's not going to work, so there's no point in risking anyone else's life." **

**I was grateful he didn't mention the incident in the hall. Ryan had absolutely been out of line, but as more time passed, it became harder and harder for me to believe I'd snapped like that. It was like something that had happened to someone else, something that I'd simply been watching. Of course, I seemed to be snapping over everything lately. I'd been mad about getting Christian, mad about the guardians' accusation, mad about— **

**Oh, right. It was probably time for me to drop the bomb. **

**"So, um … there's something you guys should know." **

"I thought you were pregnant" Lissa said laughing

I grinned. "You wish"

**Four sets of eyes—even Eddie's—turned to me. **

**"What's wrong?" asked Lissa. **

**There was really no easy way to tell them, so I just pushed forward. "Well, it turns out that Victor Dashkov was never found guilty of what he did to us. He's just been locked up. But they're finally going to have an official trial—in another week or so." **

**Lissa's reaction to hearing his name was similar to mine. Shock shot through the bond, followed immediately by fear. A slide show of images flashed through her mind. The way Victor's sick game had made her question her sanity. The torture his henchman had subjected her to. The bloody state she'd found Christian in after he'd been attacked by Victor's hounds. She clenched her fists on the table, knuckles going white. Christian couldn't sense her reaction the way I could, but he didn't need to. He moved his hand over hers. She barely noticed. **

**"But… but…" She took a deep, steadying breath, fighting to stay calm. "How could he not be guilty already? Everyone knows…. They all saw…." **

**"It's the law. They supposedly have to give him a fighting chance." **

**There was confusion all over her, and slowly, she came to the same realization that I had last night with Dimitri.**

"last night with Dimitri?" asked Victoria catching the end of the conversation alone.

I laughed.."Oh, I wish"

**"So…wait… are you saying there's a chance they might not find him guilty?" **

**I looked into her wide, frightened eyes and couldn't bring myself to tell her. Apparently, my face said it all. **

**Christian slammed his fist against the table. "This is bullshit." Several people at other tables glanced over at his outburst. **

**"This is politics," said Adrian. "People in power never have to play by the same rules." **

**"But he nearly killed Rose and Christian!" cried Lissa. "And he kidnapped me! How can there be any question?" **

**Lissa's emotions were all over the place. Fear. Sorrow. Anger. Outrage. Confusion. Helplessness. I didn't want her delving into those dark feelings and hoped desperately that she'd grow calm again. Slowly, steadily, she did—but then **_**I **_**started getting angry again. It was like Ryan all over. **

**"It's a formality, I'm sure," said Adrian. "When all the evidence is in, there probably isn't going to be much of a debate." **

**"That's the thing," I said bitterly. "They're not going to have all the evidence. We aren't allowed to go." **

**"What?" exclaimed Christian. "Then who's testifying?" **

**"The other guardians who were there. We apparently can't be trusted to keep the whole thing quiet. The queen doesn't want the world to know that one of her precious royals might have done something wrong." **

**Lissa didn't seem to take offense at me trashing royals. "But we're the reason he's on trial." **

**Christian stood up, glancing around as though Victor might be in the library. "I'm going to go take care of this right now." **

**"Sure," said Adrian. "I bet going in there and kicking down the door will change their minds. Take Rose with you, and you guys'll make a really good impression." **

Dimitri smiled.

**"Yeah?" asked Christian, clenching the back of his chair and fixing Adrian with a stormy glare. "You have a better idea?" **

**Lissa's calmness began to waver again. "If Victor was free, would he come after us again?" **

**"If he gets loose again, he won't stay that way for long," I said. "I'll make sure of it." **

**"Careful there," said Adrian. He seemed to find all of this funny. "Even you couldn't get away with a royal assassination." **

**I started to tell him that I'd practice on him first, but then Eddie's sharp voice interrupted my thoughts. **

**"Rose." **

**Instinct born from years of training instantly kicked into place. I looked up and immediately saw what he'd noticed. Emil had just entered the library and was scanning for novices, taking notes. I shot up out of my chair, taking a position not far from Eddie that gave me a view of Christian and most of the library. Damn it. I had to get a grip, or I'd end up proving Ryan right. Between my brawl in the hall and now this Victor thing, I was completely neglecting my guardian duties. I might not even need Mason to fail this. **

**Emil hadn't seen me sitting and socializing. He strolled by, glanced at us, and made a few notes before heading off to scout the rest of the library. Relieved at escaping my close call, I tried to gain control of myself. It was hard. That black mood had seized me again, and listening to Lissa and Christian rage over Victor's trial wasn't really helping me relax. I wanted to go over there and weigh in. I wanted to yell and rant and share my own frustration. But that wasn't a luxury I had as a guardian. My first duty was to protect Moroi and not give into my own impulses. Over and over, I repeated the guardian mantra: **_**They come first. **_

**Those words were really starting to annoy me.**

Everyone laughed.

_Since i took too long to update a treat for you guys.A bit of my other story. Enjoy... Actually I like the story down, that Roza's mind shadow kiss._

I fell on the bed, exhausted. Dimitri looked at me amused. We had totally destroyed Viktoria's room. Her blankets were thrown around. Her lipstick and mascara on the floor. Her closet thrown open and her clothes covering the floor. She had told us off like we were naughty kids and we were sent to bed y her.I giggled. "what happened now? The only nut in your brain has become loose? You keep giggling as if Prince Charming appeared in your clothes" he asked, putting his book down. I decided to play along . " well, you are not exactly my Prince Charming but you will look funny in my clothes.". "anyone would look funny in your clothes" he said. "are you saying no one would look funny in your clothes" I asked. "You looked okay in my duster. I haven't forgotten it yet. You will pay, Roza" he said. "ooh, comrade. Iam so scared" I said. "let's see, Roza, let's see" he said.

The nest day I woke up to find the bed empty. And cold. That meant Dimitri had gotten up long before. I yawned and dragged myself to the mirror. I combed my hair and went down. The house was quiet. "Yoohoo! Anyone there?" I calld. No reply. I shrugged and went to the kitchen. Suddenly the lights went dark . I swallowed back a scream and groped round for a flashlight. Suddenly, I heard a door creaking. It was night time in the human schedule but morning in the vampire schedule. My heart thudded in my chest. I searched frantically for the flashlight. I heard someone whistling. "who is it?" I shouted to no one in particular. I heard footsteps. I gasped and ran up the stairs to my room.I sat on the bed sweat dripping down my neck. After some time, I walked down cautiously. My footsteps echoed around the house. I was about to go to the kitchen when a hand grabbed me from behind, wrapping itself around my waist. That was the last straw. I screamed. I heard laughing and then the lights came on. And what's more, Dimitri Belikov stood behind me, still holding me by my waist and laughing his guts out. He finally stopped and looked at me. And then he started laughing again. Soon, the others came. They had gone shopping. Dimitri was still laughing so Karo asked him what choked out a reply. Soon the whole family was chuckling. Dimitri finally could look at me without laughing. "wow, rose, I never knew you believed in ghosts" he said, smirking.

I poked my tongue out at him.

I settled down on the couch and switched on the TV. I felt Dimitri sit next to me.

"Hey,….hey..they are putting a new western movie in a channel. Give the remote I want to watch." He said.

I stubbornly kept flipping through the channels until I landed on a Russian cartoon channel. He watched me for sometime, amused.

"just give it,Rose" he said. I didn't reply. He tried grabbing it but I held it out of his reach.

"are you mad?" I said. "no, iam very happy and am feeling awesome because you scared the shit out of me" I snapped back. He sighed. We sat in silence, me watching the cartoon blankly with no idea what's going on and him staring at me.

"Rose…don't be difficult" he said. I switched off the TV and got up walking to the kitchen. He followed. I took an apple from the fridge and walked off to the living room. He followed me. I went outside to jog and he still followed me. I went on jogging with him following me. But then after sometime, I turned around sharply. He skidded to a stop almost falling on me.

"What?" I asked. " are you doing following me like a creepy stalker guy?" I asked.

"iam going to do that until you speak to me" he said.

"I just spoke to you" I said.

"not just speak" he said.

"I didn't know there were different types of speaking" I said

"Well, there are. I would prefer your Rose Hathaway type of speaking though"

"What am I? your wife? Why should I speak in the way you _Prefer_?" I asked

"excuse me, but please tell me what's the problem. You seem like a lovely couple" said an old guy.

"But_" I said

"oh, I know. You are fighting on why he wants to make love to you every night,right?" the guy asked

"no,but-" said Dimitri

"or are you fighting about whose turn it is to feed the other?" he asked.

"no but-" I said. Eww…this was getting awkward and embrassing every second.

"or are you fighting about him choosing your clothes" the old guy went on rambling

" ." I intervened. "we are not a couple"

The old man stopped and stared.

Awkward silence followed

"Okay then, lets go home, Rose" said Dimitri,grabbing my hand

I let him drag me but as soon as we rounded the corner I doubled up laughing.

"okay…that was weird" I said

He laughed, the sound wrapping around me like a blanket._whats wrong with you, Rose?he is your best friend_

"now what?" I asked

"now we go skating" he said

"what?" I asked coming to a stop. "But you know I keep crashing down every time I skate" I said.

"oh,come on, Roza. You have to learn someday" he said.

"no" I said standing my ground.

He watched me for some time and then grabbed me throwing me over his shoulders.

I shouted "Dimitri Belikov, put me down"

"No" he said walking towards the park.

Girls stared enviously at me. I grinned and waved at them behind Dimitri's back. He finally set me down ending my humiliation only to tie my lace. I grumbled "Dimitri, there hawwwt guys around here. Stop embarrassing me" I said.

He laughed.

He dragged me to the skating rink

"Dimitri, please" I begged

"no, Roza. You have to learn it today. Hold on to me" he said

"don't you dare let go of me" I said

"wouldn't dream of it"

We skated around the rink, him holding me by my shoulders. Soon I began to enjoy it.

"shit" said Dimitri. His shoes had come undone and he slipped…

Pulling me along with him.


	14. Chapter 14(damn this AN)

I know i know...I hate AN's as much as there is no avoiding this one. I have my exams ... u see I am in 10th grade and here in India you hvae a lot of revision exams bfore u face the main one...and so I was just facing the revisions till main exam is yet to come(grimacing) . Anyways i want you to know that I AM NOT LETTING THIS STORY GO INCOMPLETE. It will just take a lot of time that's all...I do update my other story but that haas short chaps so its easy. This one is long though. SO I hope you wont let this story go... I will start reupdating from April the 12th. On that day, i will Post 2 chapters...and mayb the next two days too...I am planning to do the next books too...so stay close.

I would also like you to know that I am not sure whether I have to do all the 3 books after this.

So review and tell me whether you want me to do:

Blood promise

(or)

Spirit bound

(or)

Last Sacrifice.

I will do another book/...so you chooose... i am NOT doing bloodlines cauz I havent yet gone INTO the story. I read it and I must say I was impressed. But SYdney didnt make me feel into the book the way Rose did...unfortunately. anyway choose what you want me to do.

and all those who wished me luck for my exams THANK YOU!

Love ya guys...

keep close,

Lovedimka.


	15. Chapter 15

Thought I would update :D. And NO Do not blame me for Not updating. Blame that guy who went to heaven for discovering exams.

**Lissa and Christian took their time walking back to the dorm. They held hands and kept their heads close together, whispering about something that I could have "spied" on if I'd gone inside Lissa's head. They were still outraged over the Victor news. **

"I am pretty sure that isn't what I was discussing with her" Christian said.

"I don't even want to know" I said, making a face.

Lissa laughed.

**I gave them their privacy and kept my distance, scouting while Eddie walked off to their side. Since there were more Moroi than dhampirs on campus, the Moroi actually had two side-by-side dorms. Lissa and Christian lived in different ones.**

"Thank the Gods for that. If they were together all sorts of sounds might be heard in the corridor at night" Eddie said.

"Thanks for the imagination booster Eddie" I said

**The two of them stopped when they came to the spot outside the buildings where the path through the quad split. They kissed goodbye, and I did my best to do the guardian seeing-without-actually-seeing thing. **

"How can someone see without seeing?" Christian asked.

"I will tell you when I have an idea" I retorted.

**Lissa called goodbye to me and then headed off to her dorm with Eddie. I followed Christian to his. **

**If I'd been guarding Adrian or someone like him,I would probably have had to put up with sexual jokes about us sleeping near each other for the next six weeks.**

"Jesse too. Plus little dhampir, if you think of me, sex is what comes to your mind"

I poked him playfully.

**But Christian treated me in the casual, brusque way one might a sister.**

"Just because you think you are hot, doesn't mean all of think that too" Christian said.

"I think she is hot" Dimitri said.

I blushed.

"you are biased" Christian said

"I think she is hot too" Adrian said.

"yeah well if I don't consider Rose as my sister, I would say she is hot too" Eddie said.

"you are all mentally retarded." Christian said

"They all love me" I said, grinning.

**He cleared a spot on the floor for me, and by the time he returned from brushing his teeth, I'd made myself a cozy bed out of blankets. He flipped off the lights and climbed into his own bed. **

**After several quiet moments, I asked, "Christian?" **

**"This is the time when we sleep, Rose." **

Christian smirked. "King of Sarcasm" he said, patting himself.

"I am the queen of sarcasm" I said,poking my tongue at him"

"meaning you both are married" Victoria said

We gagged.

**I yawned. "Believe me, I want that too.**

"What? You want to get married to Christian?" Lissa asked giggling.

I threw a pillow at her. Christian absentmindedly burned it into ash.

**But I have a question." **

"Oh I know what the question is. You are deciding whether to invite us to yours and Christian's marriage" Mia said

"Oh come on" me and Christian said at the same time.

Mia laughed.

**"Is it about Victor? Because I need to sleep, and that's just going to piss me off again." **

"What doesn't?" Lissa said softly.

"you" Christian said, kissing her cheek.

"She is a who not a what" Eddie said.

"you get what I mean" Christian said.

**"No, it's about something else." **

**"Okay, shoot." **

**"Why didn't you make fun of me over what happened with Stan?**

" I know the answer to that myself. That's because I am awesome and everyone loves me."

**Everyone else is trying to figure out if I messed up or did it on purpose. Lissa gave me a hard time. Adrian did a little. And the guardians … well, never mind about them.**

"I didn't say anything" Dimitri said.

"You are biased" I said smiling.

"That's the second time someone said I am me not to support you"

"You can't help it" I said

"unfortunately"

"hey!"

He laughed.:Hey, you guys, other people here"

**But you didn't say anything. I figured you'd be the first one with a snappy comment." **

**More silence fell, and I hoped he was thinking about his answer and not falling asleep. **

"almost" he said

**"There was no point in giving you a hard time," he said at last. "I know you didn't do it on purpose." **

**"Why not? I mean, not that I'm contradicting you— because I **_**didn't **_**do it on purpose—but why are you so sure?" **

**"Because of our conversation in culinary science. And because of the way you are. I saw you in Spokane. Anyone who did what you did to save us … well, you wouldn't do something childish like this."**

"see. He has brains" I said pointing at Christian.

Dimitri cleared his throat playfully.

"you have 15% brains" I said.

"15 %?"

"some time spent in bed can make it 50%" I said helpfully.

He chuckled

**"Wow. Thanks. I … well, that means a lot." Christian believed me when no one else did. "You're like the first person who actually believes I just messed up without any ulterior motives."**

Before Dimitri could say anything, I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Don't start again" I said.

He kissed my hand.

"Self control" I said.

"If I remember you have lots"

"unfortunately when it comes to controlling myself around a certain Russian there is none"

**"Well," he said, "I don't believe that either." **

**"Believe what? That I messed up? Why not?" **

**"Weren't you just listening? I saw you in Spokane. Someone like you doesn't mess up or freeze." I started to give him the same line I'd given the guardians, that killing Strigoi didn't make me invincible, but he cut me off: "Plus, I saw your face out there." **

**"Out… on the quad?" **

**"Yeah." Several more quiet moments passed. "I don't know what happened, but the way you looked … that wasn't the look of someone trying to get back at a person. It wasn't the look of someone blanking out at Alto's attack either. It was something different…. I don't know. But you were completely consumed by something else—and honestly? Your expression? Kind of scary."**

"ooh! Christian is scared" I said.

He rolled his eyes.

**"Yet…you aren't giving me a hard time over that either." **

**"Not my business. If it was big enough to take you over like that, then it must be serious. But if push comes to shove, I feel safe with you, Rose. I know you'd protect me if there was really a Strigoi there." He yawned. "Okay. Now that I've bared my soul, can we please go to bed? Maybe you don't need beauty sleep, but some of us aren't that lucky." **

"there you go. You yourself accepted I am hot"

"I never said that I said you are beautiful."

"same meaning"

"from whe did hot and beautiful mean the same?"

"right now. "

"Rose logic" Lissa offered helpfully.

Christian scrunched his face.

**I let him sleep and soon gave into exhaustion myself. I'd had a long day and was still short on rest from the previous night. Once heavily asleep, I began to dream. As I did, I felt the telltale signs of one of Adrian's contrived dreams. **

"Oh no" I said.

**"Oh no," I groaned. **

Adrian laughed.

**I stood in a garden in the middle of summer. The air was heavy and humid, and sunshine beat down on me in golden waves. Flowers of every color bloomed around me, and the air was heavy with the scent of lilacs and roses. Bees and butterflies danced from blossom to blossom. I wore jeans and a linen tank top. My **_**nazar, **_**a small blue eye made of glass that allegedly warded off evil, hung around my neck. I also wore a beaded bracelet with a cross, called a **_**chotki, **_**on my wrist.**

Lissa smiled.

**It was a Dragomir heirloom Lissa had given me. I rarely wore jewelry in my daily duties, but it always showed up in these dreams. **

**"Where are you?" I called. "I know you're here." **

**Adrian stepped around from behind an apple tree that was thick with pink and white flowers. He wore jeans—something I'd never seen him in before. They looked good and were undoubtedly a designer brand. A dark green cotton T-shirt— also very simple—covered his upper body, and the sunlight brought out highlights of gold and chestnut in his brown hair. **

**"I told you to stay out of my dreams," I said, putting my hands on my hips. **

**He gave me his lazy smile. "But how else are we supposed to talk? You didn't seem very friendly earlier." **

**"Maybe if you didn't use compulsion on people, you'd have more friends." **

He playfully glared at me. I glared back playfully.

**"I had to save you from yourself. Your aura was like a storm cloud." **

"Correction. SHE was like a storm cloud" Eddie said

**"Okay, for once, can we please not talk about auras and my impending doom?" **

**The look in his eyes told me he was actually really interested in that, but he let it go. "Okay. We can talk about other things." **

"I have a good idea what those other things are" Dimitri said.

I laughed. "hey boyfriend. Do not couple me up with that guy" I said

I was actually surprised. I expected him to be angry by now. But no.

**"But I don't want to talk at all! I want to sleep." **

**"You are sleeping." Adrian smiled and walked over to study a flowering vine that was winding up a post. It had orange and yellow flowers shaped like trumpets. He gently ran his fingers over one of the flowers' edges. "This was my grandmother's garden." **

**"Great," I said, making myself comfortable against the apple tree. It looked like we could be here for a while. "Now I get to hear your family history." **

**"Hey she was a cool lady." **

**"I'm sure she was. Can I go yet?" **

**His eyes were still on the vine's blossoms. "You shouldn't knock Moroi family trees. You don't know anything about your father. For all you know, we could be related." **

**"Would that mean you'd leave me alone?" **

**Strolling back over to me, he switched subjects as though there'd been no interruption. "Nah, don't worry. I think we come from different trees. Isn't your dad some Turkish guy anyway?" **

**"Yeah, according to my— Hey, are you staring at my chest?" **

Now, Dimitri glared. Adrian made a face.

**He was studying me closely, but his eyes were no longer on my face. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared. **

**"I'm staring at your shirt,**

"yeah right" Mia said.

**" he said. "The color is all wrong." **

**Reaching out, he touched the strap.**

Before Dimtri could say anything Adrian said "Hey. I am NOT gonna rape your girlfriend. If I did, I wouldn't be alive now" he said.

"What is it with people interrupting me?" he said rolling his eyes.

**Like ink spreading across paper, the ivory fabric turned the same shade of rich indigo as the vine's blossoms. He narrowed his eyes like an expert artist studying his work.**

_Stay close for the continuation. I might update if i am bored somedays. Anyways wish me luck ofr my boards And also I decided to do a truth or dare session in the next chapter. Things MIGHT get hot and heavy._


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